One Last Fairytale
by AriaYuuki
Summary: Everyone life is like a story of a fairytale. Whether it's a story of a princess and her forbidden love and of a prince and his feelings for a servant, every whispered tale has its piece of reality in it. It will take one more real fairytale to convince Alfred and make a miracle for Ivan to let Alfred had his own Happily Ever After. ORIGINAL STORY BY KARI KUROFAI, NOW REWRITE.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything. This original story belongs to Kari Kurofai.

**Warning**: This story is rated M. There may be war, blood and adult theme in it so don't read if you don't like.

* * *

**One Last Fairytale: A Story within a Story**

His life was a fairytale. A least that's what Alfred wanted to believe. Because, no matter what horrible things happened in fairytales, the last words would always be "And they lived happily ever after." He wished his life was like that, a place where such useless wishes came true. But if he took a moment to look at his life from a distance, he was sure he would see anyone else's ideal fairytale.

Alfred was royalty, the youngest son of the Kings of his country. Kings, plural. Yes, in many ways, his life being a fairytale made a lot more sense as the matter of his birth was an issue he questioned his parents on often, with no direct answers. Mostly just funny sideways looks from King Arthur, and rather creepy giggles from King Francis. It was a suspicious situation to say the least.

And his home was the same. He never understood why the stories he was so fascinated with were called fairytales when fairies themselves were more real than any of those written lies. His father's prized steed was a beautiful, silver furred unicorn. His older brother had slain a dragon or two. And his other father had once met a siren. To Alfred, fairytales were like life, except with a happy ending to wrap it up, rather than the dark reality he knew really existed…

But that didn't mean he never enjoyed the stories he was told. Until he was seven, his fathers would read them to him before bed. He remembered various tales, but his favourite was the one about the forbidden love of the Prince and Princess. Once his father Francis told, and that Arthur would only listen, occasionally butting in saying that part of it was incorrect.

"_Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess of the Kingdom of Hetalia. On her eighteenth birthday, she was set to marry one of the many prince's of her nation. But she disliked them all, and snuck out of the castle one afternoon for some fresh air,_" was how Francis would always start out the tale.

"_That's when she met the handsome prince of the Southeast Kingdom. He was bold, and dashing, and brave and…"_

"_And full of crap,"_ Arthur would cut in, _"Just get on with it, Frog."_

"_Oui, cheri,"_ Francis would laugh, _"So, the prince and the princess met, and had many adventures together on the castle grounds. They swam in the lake with the sea serpent in it, and they rode the princess' prized unicorn. And one night, they even saw a fairy ring by the far north wall. And they kissed for the first time while the fairies danced and played around them."_

At this part in the story, Arthur would always get a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was lost in a memory, rather than the actual tale itself. And Francis would smile, _"And the angleterre and the prince fell in love. But unfortunately, the next morning, the king and queen announced the name of the prince they'd chosen for the princess to marry, and it was not the prince she loved. Furious, she asked as to why, to which they replied that because the prince she loved was the second son of the Southeast Kingdom's High Prince, and the child of a mistress, rather than the Queen, that he was unworthy of her hand. She tried to get away, but her parents locked her in her room, and set the castle guards to kill the prince should he attempt to see her."_

The next and final part was always told by Arthur, _"But one night, just when the princess thought she would never see her prince again, there was a commotion in the stables. The prince came riding out on her unicorn, cutting down any guards that got in between them. And the princess climbed out the window to meet him, and they rode off, jumping over the drawbridge just before it closed. They got away, and they were never caught, riding away to a place where they could live without the rules of the Nobility. And they lived happily ever after."_

That was one of the only stories Alfred felt had some truth in it. In normal fairytales, the prince and the princess would remain prince and princess, yet here, they gave up their titles to be together.

From age eight to the present, the stories came to his ears in soft whispers by his older brother Ivan. The year that he had turned seven, however, was the year he hadn't listened to a single story. That was the year he'd learned that his own life, though it may resemble a fairytale, would not end with that longed for "Happily ever after." He'd given up. His parents practically had force him to eat, and his brother hadn't fared much better.

In fact, it was the eldest prince that finally forced Alfred to want to live again. The blond had given up; lying on his bed with eyes closed to the world he felt had betrayed him. He was only seven, and already, it hurt too much to see anymore of it. Ivan had snuck into his room, fingers brushing soothingly over the comatose-like child's hair. When Alfred had jolted out of his state of semi-consciousness, protesting and drawing away from is touch, the older had lifted him bodily off the bed, carrying him across the hall to his own room.

Lavender eyes met blue with determination. "Alfred," the eldest prince had murmured, holding up a book in his free hand that wasn't tangled in his sibling's hair. "It's okay to keep believing in happy endings. I _want_ you to believe that everything can one day turn out all right again."

Alfred tried in vain to jerk away again, only to be caught by the arm and pulled against his older brother's chest with a strangled sob. "Let me go!" he wailed, digging his nails into Ivan's hand, tears stinging the corners of his sky blue eyes. But he refused to let them fall. "I don't want to read those anymore! They're nothing but lies! There's no such thing as Happily Ever After!" He sucked in a shaky breath, "There's… There's only death… Please, Ivan, just let me die too."

Ivan growled under his breath, pulling the child impossibly closer, burying his face in his younger brother's hair. "I can't do that Alfred. I know it hurts, he was my brother too. But… Even so… He wouldn't want you to be like this. You don't eat, you hardly sleep… You've… You've never cried for him, not once."

The younger prince shook his head fiercely against Ivan's shoulder, "I can't! That would be admitting that he's gone… And I…" He swallowed, forcing back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him, "I promised! I promised that we'd be together forever! We were born together, we were supposed to die that way too! It's not fair!" He clenched his fists against Ivan's shirt, "It's not fair!" And this time, he didn't care that the hot tears trickled down his cheeks, or that the uncontrollable sobs wracked his body. Because deep down, he'd known all along. In real life, death couldn't be overcome by True Love's First Kiss. It was permanent, cold, and painful. And crying, or not crying, would do nothing to bring his brother back. So Alfred cried, clinging to Ivan as though he was a lifeline, choking out the name he'd refused to say for nearly a year.

"Mattie, Mattie… Ivan, why did it have to be him? It's not fair."

* * *

The golden haired prince crept nervously down the halls, pillow clutched tightly to his chest. It's not like he was doing anything wrong, this was _his_ castle after all. Okay, his _parent's_ castle, but still. Actually, it was said parents he was afraid of running into this late at night.

"_It's a little weird for you to keep doing this at your age," Arthur chided, "I'll have no more of it."_

"_He's only seventeen…" Francis started._

"_Which means that in a few months he'll be eighteen! Legally old enough to inherit our throne should we die!" Arthur spat in reply._

_Francis looked aghast, "Mon cheri! You're going to jinx us saying such things! Quick, knock on wood!"_

_Arthur leaned over to tap the wall just to make his husband shut up, when the older of the pair had said, in slight exasperation, "Not that wood." To which Arthur had merely stared at him blankly. Francis grabbed him around the waist, whispering something in his ear and watching with a satisfied smirk as the king blushed furiously, before dashing off with Arthur still in his clutches._

Alfred never got to hear the end of that conversation (he was rather glad he didn't), but he suspected that Francis had probably caved in the end and agreed that the young prince could be punished should he do it again. The blond struck a pose in the middle of the hallway, feeling a bit put out at the thought, "Oh who cares! I'm the hero! I should get to do what I want!"

"A very _loud_ here who had a nightmare and snuck out of bed again," a voice said irritably from behind the door to Alfred's right, making him jump.

Picking up the pillow from where he'd tossed it on the floor in order to strike his princely and heroic pose, he shuffled into the room, locking the door behind him. Narrowing hid eyes, he glared at the person sitting up in the bed on the far side of the room. "Well that's your fault," he muttered, "you're the one who switched your room to the north wing, when mine is in the south."

Lavender eyes blinked slowly in reply, "I did it because you're so clingy," Ivan deadpanned. "And you're too old for this," he added, repeating their father's words.

Alfred stuck out his bottom lip in protest, "It's been a month since I last snuck in, bastard. And besides, you _know_ that this is a bad week for me."

Ivan continued to glare at him for a moment, before he sighed, "Fine, come here."

The younger prince let out a whoop, belly flopping onto the bed and winding the older man. He wiggled across the covers until he could slip in beside him with a broad grin, ignoring the annoyed look Ivan gave him. "Tell me a story," he prompted softly.

The other sighed again, running his fingers through his ash-blond hair before he leaned over to playfully ruffle Alfred's, "Once upon a time…"

"Tell me one about the prince and the beautiful servant girl," Alfred interrupted.

Ivan's gaze darkened briefly, his smile faltering before he replaced the look with his usual mask of happiness. "Once upon a time, there was a prince. The prince was served by a beautiful lady in waiting, one who was almost the same age as himself. But in the kingdom, it was forbidden to marry anyone without noble blood. So even if the prince fell in love with her, they could never be together."

"Did they fall in love anyways?" Alfred asked, though he'd heard the tale many times over.

"Yes," Ivan murmured near his ear, a word that was almost a sigh as he hooked an arm around Alfred's waist. "They did fall in love. And after a few months of meeting in secret, they decided to run away together. Escape the castle, and the laws that prevented their love."

"And did they get away?" Alfred yawned.

"They did," Ivan whispered, something flickering in his eyes. "And they got married, had children, and lived happily ever after." He bit his lip as Alfred snored softly against his chest, thoughts churning through his mind. Even if it was his brother's favourite story, Ivan hated it. Because he knew, better than anyone, that that was the one story with a lie at the end. He flinched slightly, tasting the blood that came from the bite mark in his mouth. He wished life were as perfect as a fairy tale. Where the "princess" and the prince would have never had to return to the castle that forbid their love. Where a prince, and his devoted servant could have gotten away. And where two twin brothers could have lived side by side forever. Instead, he could only taste the blood on his lip, tainted with memories of "fairytales" stained with crimson endings.

xXx

Hey there my readers, welcome back to my second long story! I'm really thankful for those who had voted the poll in my profile page and it turns out that One Last Fairytale, Frozen Verse 1, Frozen Verse 2 and Phantom of the Opera had the highest and the same number of votes so I decided to come up with this story first since I already had the storyline prepared while the rest still need to figure out with the plot. I really want to try to write two stories in a time but I can't because I have another long story to be done for a story writing contest before the deadline. D: Sorry, but please be patient, I will try to finish this story as fast as possible so that I could come up with the rest of the story.

This story originally belongs to Kari Kurofai and you can find it in my profile page. I had asked for her permission so that I can rewrite and complete this story. I hope you all will like it. If you had read this story before, you can skip the first 7 chapters since I'm just copying directly from the original story.

This is a brief introduction to our main story. In this kingdom, there stood Main Hetalia, the kingdom where Alfred belongs. There are three other kingdoms under Main Hetalia rule. The North Kingdom by High Princess Natalia, the West Kingdom is ruled by High Prince Gilbert and the Southeast Kingdom governed by High Prince Antonio. This story revolves about royalty and nobility, something you will soon understand as the story goes on.

Alfred will be the main character in this story but sometimes the scope of the story may shift from one character to others but it mostly focus on the life of Alfred from his birth till his marriage. The next chapter will be a series of flashback about the past until current time.

That's all for now. I will post the next chapter as soon as I can. :3


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning**: M-rated, contains LEMON in this chapter. Don't read if you don't like.

**One Last Fairytale: Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust**

From the day he was born, Arthur had been raised to be his country's heir to the throne. He was the only son of the previous king and queen, the hopes and dreams of his nation. But he was a "stubborn, arrogant fool," as his father said. He acted out, purposefully going against the rules and laws of his land from day one and just as when every prince turns eighteen; eligible princesses flocked to the castle to be chosen as the next queen. Arthur was disgusted with them all.

Leaning his head on his hand, elbow resting on the arm of the king's throne, he watched the girls chattering noisily on the floor below with disinterest. "I'm wondering why you came here at all," he muttered, glancing to the girl at his side.

She grinned broadly, kicking her legs back and forth as she sat in the queen's chair as if she owned it. Nonchalantly sweeping back her long brown hair from her viridian eyes, she replied, "Oh hush, like you care. Besides, if I sit here and talk with you, it'll dishearten all those silly girls down there. And that's what you want, isn't it?"

Arthur rolled his eyes but nodded in agreement. "More or less. But Elizaveta, what will Roderich say when he finds out you're here?"

Elizaveta smiled knowingly. "Nothing. He's from the West Kingdom, and married into _my_ family, not the other way around. So technically, my royalty trumps his royalty." She patted Arthur's arm fondly, "Ah, the privileges of being your cousin."

"_Distant cousin_," Arthur corrected, making a face. "You're lucky your blood is of the Nobility at all."

She waved a hand as if to say "pish-posh," leaning over the edge of the chair to peer down at the gathered princesses below. "Oh, look Seychelles is here. She's from a lower branch of the Southeast family. She's probably the most normal, why don't you choose her?"

"Because," Arthur replied, his voice tinged with annoyance, "I don't want to get married."

"What about Liech over there then?" Elizaveta continued as if she hadn't heard. "Aren't you good friends with her cousin Vash?"

"Good enough to get ruin through with a sword should I touch her," Arthur grumbled. "And besides, Liech is like, what, thirteen now?"

"When has age mattered?" Elizaveta snorted, "I married Roderich at fourteen. You're just making up excuses now."

"Maybe so," the prince said airily. He cast a glance over the crowd of girls below with a frown, "What would I have to give you to make a distraction for me?"

A slow smile spread across Elizaveta's face, "I was hoping you'd ask. Can I bargain for free reign of your wardrobe from now on?"

Arthur considered for a moment, know full well that she probably had already picked up dozens of outfits for him to wear. If nothing else, it would piss his parents off to no end if he came up to them in a maid outfit. Or worse. "Deal," he said, holding out a hand for her to shake.

"Right," she grinned, shaking the hand enthusiastically, "Now skedaddle, cause I'm gonna make all hell break loose." She waited as Arthur casually slipped away down the hall before she launched herself into the crowd of suitors with an evil laugh.

The prince covered his ears as he heard the startled shrieks and squeals from the girls as he dashed down the hall, but he didn't dare look back to see what Elizaveta was doing. Noticing a guard a few rooms down, he turned towards the tall window to his right, throwing it open and jumping. He was only two stories up, but he still expected a rather rough landing, only to find himself entangled in a rather large bush. Growling in annoyance, he struggled to free himself, only to topple out onto his face, someone's loud laughter in his ears. Arthur groaned, raising his head from the ground to glare at the person laughing at a prince's misfortune.

The newcomer was a tall, broad-shouldered man, who couldn't have been more than two years older than Arthur himself. He put his hands on his knees, his mid-length blond hair falling over his crystal blue eyes as his sides shook with laughter. And he only laughed harder when he saw Arthur's furious glare.

"What are you laughing at?!" Arthur burst out, unable to contain his anger and frustration at the situation any longer. "How dare you laugh at the Prince of the Nobility!"

The older man covered his mouth with a hand, doing his best to choke back another fit of giggles. "I apologize, _ami_. But it's the height of hilarity to be sitting here and suddenly see the Crown Prince came flying out the window only to land in a bush." He snickered again, tilting his head to the side, blue eyes twinkling with amusement, "So were the girls really that ugly?"

Arthur frowned, "No. I just have no desire whatsoever to be anywhere near them."

"So you have no sex drive?" the other asked, grinning.

"That's not what I said!" Arthur cried out, face glowing red. He narrowed his eyes at the newcomer, "What are you doing on the castle grounds anyways?"

The other laughed at the suspicious look in Arthur's eyes, "Non, I'm not trespassing. I came here to escort mon Seychelles."

"You're from the Southeast Kingdom then?" Arthur made a face. That side of the kingdom was full of absolute weirdoes in his opinion. Case in point standing in front of him.

"_Oui cheri_," he smiled smugly, "my name is Francis von Bonnafoy."

Arthur blinked once, twice, "_Bonnafoy_? You're the second son of High Prince Roman?!"

"But of course," Francis laughed, enjoying the astonished expression on the other, "How did you think I got this lovely face." He waved a hand as Arthur continued to gape at him, "It's nothing special. Mon Antonio will inherit the title; he's a few years older than me. As you can see, I am just an escort. It's apparently on my list of duties, but I think my father made it up to get out of coming himself." He smiled, "So, Mon Arthur, now that you've escaped from the awkward ladies, what are you going to do?"

"Probably just sleep," Arthur muttered after a moment's thought.

Francis looked astonished, "What? That's it? Not acceptable!" He pulled the prince up off the ground, "Come, let's go do something exciting!"

"Exciting…?"

"Oui," Francis laughed, "Like… Oh, I know! I saw a unicorn in the stables earlier on the way here. Let's go look at it."

Arthur bit his lip, deciding not to mention that that was _his_ unicorn, and that it hated everyone but its owner. In fact, it had tried to bite quite a few of his giggling suitors just this morning. But maybe he could use this as a way to get rid of this obnoxious guy. He smiled to himself, whistling Francis lead him to the stable, and hearing an excited whinny in reply.

But to his utter surprise. When Francis reached out a hand towards the silver haired unicorn, the creature nuzzled him, rather than bit him. Amazed, he glanced at Francis in confusion, "Are you bribing him somehow?"

"Non, this is the first time I've met him," Francis smiled.

The prince cast a way look at his steed, "Usually, Sterling bites everyone but me," he admitted, the unicorn gazing blankly at him when he shot him a glare.

"Can you ride him then?" Francis asked, petting the unicorn's silver nose with a content look on his face. "I've never seen anyone ride one of these before."

Arthur considered this a moment, and the possibility that Sterling might come to his senses and buck Francis off. "You want to try?" Before he'd even finished speaking, Francis had climbed up onto the door of Sterling's stable, swinging his legs over the unicorn's back. Arthur opened the door and watched, stunned, as Sterling trotted obediently out. "Did someone put something in your hay?" he mumbled under his breath. He gaped as Francis suddenly leaned down, pulling him up in front of him on the unicorn's back.

"Now we can have a real adventure," he laughed, digging his heels into the unicorn's sides and urging him into a gallop out of the stables.

He emerald eyes prince panicked, desperately seeking a handhold on Sterling's mane. There weren't any reigns, or a saddle, so it was only a matter of seconds before he started to fall. At least, until Francis hooked an arm securely around his waist, holding him steady.

The inside of the castle grounds was enough to hold not only the castle itself, but could have held a small town had the area inside not been full of various gardens. There was even a lake on the southern end. And it was on the shore of this lake that Francis pulled the unicorn to a halt. Arthur leaned back against his chest, eyes closed, "Are we dead?" he asked weakly.

"Of course not cheri," Francis chuckled. He didn't wait for Arthur to reply, jumping off Sterling and down onto the sand. And then to the prince's horror, he started to strip.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Arthur gasped, covering his eyes.

Francis glanced back at him with a "duh" expression on his face, "I'm going to swim in your lake." He flung his pants at Arthur, laughing as the blond gave an unmanly shriek and fell over backwards off the unicorn, landing with a strangled "oof" as the wind was knocked out of him. It took only a few minutes for the prince to regain his breath, tossing the trousers to the ground, growling in rage as Francis merely giggled and dashed off, stark naked, towards the water.

"Get back here!" he snapped, tugging his own clothes off as he raced after the older man. "I'm going to kill you, you bloody wanker!"

Skipping backwards through the shallows, Francis continued to laugh, "Oh cheri, you couldn't even if you tried." He was up to his waist now, and as Arthur waded towards him, pure murder in his eyes, Francis sucked in a breath and ducked below the water. Arthur raised a characteristic eyebrow, watching the spot where the other had disappeared. He had to come up for air eventually… Right?

He didn't have time to take another breath as strong arms wrapped around his legs, pulling him under. Bubbles of whatever air he had left escaped him as he was surrounded by icy water. The arms pushed him deeper, and he felt a jet of bubbled near his ear. Tilting his head to the side, he caught sight of Francis floating a few inches above him, impossibly laughing under water. The other blond released him, allowing him to flail back to the surface.

Gasping for air, Arthur felt his fury rising, "What is wrong with you?!"

Francis was treading water beside him, grinning from ear to ear even as Arthur yelled at him. "Oh, mon cheri. Get out and live a little." He laughed as Arthur glared in reply. Reaching out to take the prince's hand, "Let me show you, angleterre."

Arthur bit his lip, uncertainty clear in his emerald eyes, "I…"

"Do you trust me?"

The golden haired prince took a hesitant breath, squeezing the hand around his own, "Yes," he whispered.

Without another word, Francis pulled him underwater again. Arthur kept his eyes open, watching Francis through the slightly murky water. The older man smiled, keeping a firm grip on the other's hand as he motioned with the other towards the center of the lake. As they approached the deeper water, Arthur was amazed to see the number of fish daring enough to dart close to them, just outside their grasp. And the air almost escaped him when he noticed the massive serpent curled on the sandy lake floor below them.

Francis smirked when they burst back to the surface, "I dare you to touch that thing."

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Yeah right, why would I be stupid enough to…"

"Then I'll do it," Francis chirped, diving back under before Arthur could protest. The prince stared at the ripples he'd left for a moment, before sinking down after him. He was surprised to find that Francis had swam only a few feet away, rather than down to the bottom where the lake serpent lay. He smirked again, flipping underwater and catching Arthur's hands. The prince sank further as their legs tangled together, Francis leading him towards the water snake. The older held up three fingers as they snuck up on the sleeping creature, lowering them one at a time, their hands poised together over its scales. As the final finger lowered, they touched it, kicking up towards the surface frantically as its beady dark eyes snapped open.

"Swim faster!" Francis half screamed, half laughed as the water erupted behind them, the snake's long, horned head rearing out of the lake. He pushed Arthur ahead of him as they stumbled onto the shore, gasping and laughing as they collapsed on the grass far enough away from the lake that the beast wouldn't reach them.

Arthur's breath came in short, shallow gasps as he struggled to regain his heart rate, small giggles escaping him. He tilted his head to the side catching sight of Francis watching him with satisfied blue eyes. He smiled back, for the first time that day. "Thank you," he said quietly. "That was the most fun I've had in ages."

Francis sat up, looking out at the lake with another laugh, "Don't speak too soon, cheri. I think the serpent just ate our clothes."

"What?!"

* * *

Arthur never expected to hear from the other man again after that day, as most of the escorts for the various princesses were sent home on his father's request, the castle didn't have enough rooms. But two nights later, when the prince was fast asleep, there was a sharp tap on his window.

Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he stumbled over to the glass, opening it up to the chilly night air and looking down onto the grounds. He blinked in surprise, seeing Francis standing on the grass below holding a handful of pebbles and looking up at him. "What are you doing here?" He hissed, leaning out the window.

Francis smirked, "Always the suspicious one, aren't you angleterre? But yes, I did sneak in. I was kicked out to an inn in the town a mile over, if you must know."

"So why are you here now?" Arthur prompted, glancing around for the guards he knew circled the castle every fifteen minutes.

"I came for you, cheri." Francis replied, as though it was a stupid question. "Would you like to go on another adventure?"

The prince narrowed his eyes, looking down at the three stories that separated them. "There are guards outside my room. I can't leave."

"Then jump," Francis smiled, holding out his arms, "I promise I'll catch you." When Arthur raised a disbelieving eyebrow, he said the same words he'd used before, "Do you trust me?"

And Arthur couldn't deny the unshakeable feeling that he did. Even though Francis was practically a total stranger, even though he had weirdly made friends with his unicorn, which was suspicious. But deep down, he trusted him, somehow. So he climbed up onto the sill and jumped, letting out a surprised breath he didn't know he'd been holding when Francis caught him, twirling him around with a light laugh. He looked up at him, the older being a good six inches taller, "So, where are we going?"

Blue eyes sparkled with mischief, "Anywhere you'd like, cheri." He looked up, listening intently as he heard the approaching footsteps of the guards. Grabbing Arthur's hand, he hurried away from the castle, pulling the other behind him, "Quick cheri, let's be of then."

Arthur chose one of his favourite gardens closest to the castle, the one that was full of small clovers and wildflowers. He knelt down in the clovers, searching through them with a carefree, gentle expression. Francis watched him, "Do you like this garden, angleterre?"

"Yes," Arthur replied, "but it's been years since I've been out of the castle long enough to see it." He smiled when Francis frowned in confusion at this, "I'm sure you've heard, right? That I'm the 'disappointment.' I act out and get locked away, the usual," he shrugged, not noticing the furious look that crossed Francis' face. He huffed in surprise as the older blond suddenly wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pushing him to the ground. "What are you doing?" He asked, though not in the same, angry tone he'd used by the lake. He was more confused than frustrated with the other's behaviour.

"You know, cheri, I was surprised you recognized the name of Bonnafoy when we met," Francis began. "It's not the name of my father, or older brother. It's my mother's." He placed a finger over Arthur's lips as the prince opened his mouth to interrupt. "My mother was not the queen, but one of my father's mistresses. So it is that I am considered not of royal blood." His eyes clouded, "I know my father loves me, and Antonio too. But… To my nation, and the Nobility, I don't exist. I do not have the rights of anyone higher than the lowest chain of royalty. In other words, I am nothing but a step above commoner."

Arthur looked shocked, and for a moment, Francis expected him to flinch away, to shun him like the others of his blood. But the prince did not, merely frowning at the thought of his parents putting Francis in such a position. "When I'm king, I'll change that. I'll make sure to give you a position higher than you father's!" He mumbled something under his breath before turning his eyes back to Francis, "But… Thank you for telling me. I'm sure it was a hard thing to do." He paused, "Did you… Did you love your mother?"

"Oui," Francis replied softly, "she was beautiful. My father says that I have her hair and eyes," he smiled and gazed far away while reminiscing his mother. "They say that she was a commoner from the North Kingdom. You know how they are, fair skin and hair and light eyes."

"I've never been to the North Kingdom," Arthur admitted.

Francis smiled, "Then one day, I'll take you there, angleterre. It's more beautiful than you can imagine. It's almost always snowing, and the land there is full of tall mountains and endless white. And at night, sometimes you can see lights of every colour of the rainbow dancing across the dark, star filled sky."

Arthur blushed slightly, noticing that Francis' arms were still looped loosely around his neck as they lay in the flowers together, "I'd like to go," he replied. "If I can ever get out of this damn castle that is."

"I'll kidnap you," Francis grinned.

"Just don't get caught," Arthur replied teasingly.

* * *

It was Arthur who instigated their next meeting, sneaking up on the older man just inside the castle gate while he was waiting for Seychelles. Francis unfortunately, didn't look at all surprised when Arthur grabbed him from behind. "Hello cheri, how have you been?"

Arthur scowled in annoyance, his arms around Francis' waist. "The hell, Francis? What do you mean 'How have you been?' I'm fucking bored, having to individually meet all those princesses everyday. It's so tedious, and there must be, I don't know, two hundred of them. I think I just saw the last of them today, thank god. Now I just have to take my own sweet time narrowing them down. At least five years, give or take a few." He looked up at the other, green eyes meeting blue, "And then, I plan to have you take me to the Northern Kingdom so I don't have to marry a single one, deal?"

"Of course, angleterre," Francis laughed, "So, shall we go on another grand adventure today?"

The prince cast a glance over his shoulder at the sky. "Yeah, it'll take awhile to get there, so let's head out now while there's still a bit of light left."

They debated backtracking to the stable to get Sterling, but in the end, decided to walk the castle grounds. "This thing that I'm going to show you," Arthur began as they made their way through one of the larger gardens by the north wall, "You can't tell anyone about it, okay? It's a secret that only I know. So you're lucky I'm going to show you at all, got it?" He smiled slightly as Francis smirked in agreement. "It only happens once a year, so I haven't seen it in a while. I think I was fifteen last time I was able to get away for this long."

It was pitch dark out now, and they sat down in the middle of the garden, surrounded by flowers of all colours and sizes. "Don't talk," Arthur whispered, eying the orange autumn moon with anticipation. "And stay very still until I tell you that you can move." Then minutes passed, then twenty, Francis growing impatient with the stillness and eerie silence of the garden. Until, suddenly, it exploded with light, tiny drops of coloured rays rising up from the flowers all around them.

Francis held in a gasp, watching with awe as he realized that the lights were in fact, small fairies, rising up and dancing into the air around them. They formed large rings, clasping hands and twirling about. There was a noise in the air, like a hum and a tinkling laugh at the same time. The older man nearly jumped out of his skin as Arthur laid a hand on top of his, motioning silently for him to stand.

Arthur led him by the hand through the rings, smiling broadly. "Did you know," he whispered softly, turning to face Francis as they stepped into the biggest of the rings, "Creatures like this sorta just… Come to me. So as long as you stay close to me, they won't mind your presence." He laughed as one of the fairies flew over, kissing his cheek, "For some reason, they all really like me. So they let me stay when they have their harvest moon dance every year."

"Have you ever shown this to anyone else?" Francis asked, awed as he watched the lights twist and turn around them.

"No," Arthur replied. "My parents… I tried to tell them about it one time, but they called me a liar. So the fairies said that I should act like one then, to prove a point. Do what I want, when I want." He smiled again, "You can't hear them, I know. They say that to you their voices will sound like bells or wind chimes. But…" he tilted his head to the side, apparently listening to the fairies, "They like you. They say that you're a strange man, but they like you because I li-" He paused, castling an embarrassed look at the ground.

Francis stared at him for a moment, before reaching over and taking Arthur's chin in his hand, tilting it up to place a light, almost innocent kiss on his lips. And for the briefest of moments he could swear he heard the fairies too.

"_They've met, they've met. The moon and the sun, as different and as perfect together as the sky and the sea._"

Arthur pulled away slowly, startled, his face bright red, "Francis, what are…"

But Francis didn't give him time to finish the question, kissing him again, pulling him closer, arms around his waist. He licked Arthur's closed lips, smiling slightly as they obediently parted, allowing him a wider range of access. He dipped his tongue inside, catching a taste, trailing it across the inside of his mouth, over gums and teeth before finding Arthur's own. To which, the prince tentatively licked back, engaging a teasing, gentle war for dominance.

The prince rested his hands against Francis' chest as the other easily overpowered him, toppling them both over into the flowers, the fairies laughing and continuing their dance overhead. He fumbled with the buttons, the older blond taking his sweet time exploring Arthur's mouth. Francis neatly undid the clasps on the back of Arthur much more formal attire, slipping the first shirt off, shortly followed by the undergarments. Once he had the younger man's bare chest before him, he dipped his head down, rolling his tongue over an exposed nipple, smirking at the gasp he elicited as he bit it.

Francis curled his fingers into Arthur's short blond hair as he pulled back slightly, "Cheri," he whispered, "choose me. Choose me over all those princesses tomorrow. I…I won't be able to stand it if you marry one of them. I want you to be mine, and only mine. I'd die if it were any other way."

Arthur nodded, leaning up to kiss him, a harsher, desperate kiss than Francis' had been. "And what shall I do if they refuse? Will you come back for me? Take me to the Northern Kingdom?"

"I'll always come back for you," Francis replied, complete sincerity in his blue eyes. He trailed his hands down Arthur's chest, his fingers skimming the edges of the ornate belt buckle. But he paused there, as if asking for permission. And Arthur gave it with another, silent nod. He shivered slightly at the sudden cold of August air, but Francis was warm against him, one arm still hooked around his back as he licked his fingers before placing them at the prince's entrance.

The younger blond arched up with a small hiss of pain, focusing his attention on the fairies that still danced and sang above the flowers. He wasn't uncomfortable with their presence. In fact, their song was soothing, promising him things to come that would be even more amazing and wonderful. But he doubt that, as Francis leaned over him again, making a path of light kisses up his neck as he levered Arthur's legs up. The prince squeezed his eyes shut, arms tangling beneath the other's as Francis slowly forced himself inside. Mixed in with the fairies song, there was the older blonde's whispered, comforting words near his ear as he pulled out, thrusting back inside.

To Arthur, it seemed as though people must be made like locks and keys. Each only fits perfectly with one other, made as a pair. Soul mates. His heart raced as Francis took him, a feeling of completion washing over them both as they rocked. Arthur moaned when Francis angled himself different, hitting that special bundle of nerves deep inside. He arched up, his nails digging into the other's back as he repeated the motion with similar results. The prince cried out as he came against Francis' chest, his insides contracting around the older man, forcing him to follow soon, pouring hot seed out inside of him. "Oh cheri," Francis moaned, head against Arthur's shoulder as he came, "We have to stay like this, forever. It's too… Too perfect."

Arthur buried his head against Francis' neck, "Don't pull out," he whispered. "More, give me more."

They stayed amidst the fairies until dawn, the little creatures hovering over them, protecting them from sight and shielding the world from their sound. They would not let anyone come between the two while they were in their territory. The pair made love over and over, unable to pull away from each other or bear to part for more than a moment to rest. The light of the rising sun trickled over them when Arthur first noticed the fairies had vanished, unable to be seen in the glow of day. He breathed deeply against Francis' chest, tracing an invisible heart through the cooling sweat on his lover's body. "I have to go," he murmured regretfully, reaching for his clothes.

Francis opened his eyes from the half-sleep he'd been lost in. "Will they notice how long you've been gone?"

"Hopefully not," Arthur muttered, thinking of the scolding he'd get. Leaning over as he tugged on his clothes, he stroked the side of Francis' cheek. "But don't worry. I'll tell them tonight. I'll tell them that you're the one I choose."

A small smile lit Francis' face. "Je t'aime, mon Arthur. I'll walk you back, okay?"

"That should be fine," Arthur smiled in return, waiting for Francis to dress. The older man twined their fingers together as they walked towards the castle, the two talking softly, heads bent together. They didn't notice their surroundings, or the warnings of the now invisible fairies before Francis was suddenly grabbed under the arms and pulled away from the prince just outside the castle doors. Another guard grabbed Arthur in a similar fashion, holding him as he kicked and struggled, panicking as he saw the other guard bash Francis upside the head with the butt of his sword to silence him.

"So this is where you've been," a cold voice interrupted. Arthur jerked his head towards the sturdy oak doors, growling as he saw his mother and father step out into the dawn light. "With this… Filthy bastard no less," the king spat with distaste.

Arthur screamed at the use of the word, pulling against the unmoving hold the guard had on him. "How dare you say that?! I choose him! I choose him father, over all the stupid princesses you picked for me! I choose him!"

A startled look crossed the king's face. "What are you saying, you useless fool?"

The prince smirked, "You can't marry me off now, because I already _belong_ to him. It's too late, father."

The king's gaze grew dark with fury. "How dare you… With another man, the bastard child of that fool Roman. You couldn't have made a worse choice." He waved a hand to the guard holding Francis, "Take him away to the dungeons and send for his worthless father to come get him." He turned a searing glare at everyone in the area, "No one is to know of what you just said, Arthur. You will be confined to your room until next Wednesday, when you shall be married to princess Liech. And you will never speak of this again, or Francis von Bonnefoy will hang at the gallows for seducing the Crown Prince."

Arthur sucked in a horrified breath. "No! You can't do that! You know the laws, the permanent magic between two lovers! You're sentencing the kingdom to death! And why Liech, of all people?! The Northern Kingdom will rebel, Vash will come after the Nobility!" He jerked his head to the side, screaming in rage as Francis was dragged away. "You can't do this! Francis! Francis, wake up! Damn it! Francis!"

xXx

How was the first chapter? I hope you all enjoy reading this. There ain't much response yet, just hope more reviews and alert can be received in the future. :] For that, I have to write this story to be as good as I could do.

The first part of the story is mainly revolving about Arthur and the pairing FrUK since this is the part that relates the origin of Alfred and the causes of everything. I guess you all might know what will the next chapter be about, right? Since in the first chapter I had mentioned about it already. More characters will be introduced in the next chapter, of which will be the story of Ivan. :]

The original author mentioned that this chapter is named after the song from Peter Pan 2 which perfectly reflects this chapter's story, don't you think? The quote "Do you trust me?" also comes from a Disney movie too. Well, I'm not really fond on movies but storybooks, but perhaps some of you may know about it. I'm going to search up more about Disney's movie and their soundtracks.

**Disclaimer**: The story and characters all belong to their respective owners and copying other's people work without permission is not allowed. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya while One Last Fairytale rightfully belong to Kari Kurofai.


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning**: Contains MPREG in this chapter~~ Enjoy reading :3

**One Last Fairytale: Silver Storm**

Arthur wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, and he barely moved. He lay face down on his bed, as if he was trying to suffocate himself. But he kept breathing because he knew it was useless to die now. There were guards outside the door, and below his window. Even if he did manage to escape, he'd be caught in a matter of seconds. The only time his door was unlocked was when his meals were brought in three times a day. And he'd already failed at trying to overpower the guards while their hands were full, he didn't even make it to the end of the hall.

He'd heard through whispered words between his captors that High Prince Roman had retrieved Francis a few days ago, and that they'd already returned to the Southeast Kingdom. Arthur's tears had dried up not long after and, without any food, crying only made him feel dizzy. So he'd stopped. There was no point of crying, because it wouldn't change anything. Instead, he just lay there, wishing that some cruel fate would take him since he was too scared to kill himself. Coward, why did he always have to be such a coward? If he was a bit stronger, a bit taller, a bit braver, he could have found a way out of this mess by now.

He sighed in defeat, wiping the tears from his eyes before they fell. His whole body hurt with the pain of separation. His father should have known better than to do this. The bonds between two fated lovers were strong enough to kill if the pair is torn apart. It could only be a matter of time before he withered away. He'd tried to eat after the first few days, only to throw it back up. He was physically unable to eat it. And his nights were as sleepless as they were lonely for the same reasons.

So it was that he didn't hear the commotion at first, lost in a state of semi-consciousness on his bed, waiting for death. He rose when he heard a startled cry from the guards below the window, and he got up to investigate, leaning against the locked glass. The guards were yelling something, pointing out across the field towards the stables. Arthur could make out a strange, flickering light before he heard the sound of hooves as he horses raced out of the building. It was on fire, the stallions whinnying in panic as they dashed across the grounds, the guards from around the castle save for the ones beneath his window chasing after them.

There was another noise outside his room, and he heard furious yells and the clash of steel. Blinking, he thought he recognized Elizaveta's voice, seconds before the door splintered and fell inwards, the lady herself pulling her rapier out of one of the guard's chest. Beside her, a man about the same age as Arthur with shoulder length blond hair kicked another guard between the legs, smirking as he kneeled over.

"Shit!" Elizaveta cursed under her breath. "We're not going to be able to get him out through the hall." She hissed between her teeth as she cut down another guard, motioning to her companion, "Vash, go get Liech. I'll hold them off over here." She turned towards Arthur as Vash fought his way down the hall, "And you, break that damn window!"

Arthur gaped at her, reaching towards a chair. "What are you doing?! My father will kill you when he finds out that you two are here!"

Elizaveta smiled warmly at him, "I'll kick his ass before that happens, Arthur. Don't worry about me. And Vash is set to kill right now, you idiot father taking Liech from him." She nodded towards the window again, "Quick now, or it'll be too late."

The blond gritted his teeth, hurling the chair at the window with all the force he could muster, and was rewarded with the satisfying crack of glass. He repeated the movement, this time shattering the pane entirely, running over to the sill to watch the glass rain down on the confused guards below. They raised their swords threateningly towards him, daring him to risk his life in the jump. Arthur hesitated, watching the spreading fire and the light of it on the blades with uncertainty.

Suddenly, there was a loud, familiar whinny as Sterling came barrelling out of the flames, goring one of the guards through the stomach and tossing him aside like a rag doll. And seated on the unicorn's back, slicing through the other guard, was Francis. Tears welled up in Arthur's eyes as the older blond looked up at him, a confident smile on his face, "Jump, Arthur!"

And Arthur jumped, landing on Sterling in front of Francis, the other's arms wrapping around his waist as he dug his heels into the unicorn's sides, urging him into a canter. The prince glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of Vash waiting beneath the window on horseback, another steed held behind him as Elizaveta jumped down from the window. The pair caught up to them a matter of moments, keeping pace with them. Liech was on the horse in front of her cousin, clinging to it with closed, fearful eyes.

They pulled up short at the drawbridge, hearts hammering in horror as they saw that it was already starting to rise to stop their escape. Francis motioned Vash forward, watching as his horse cleared the gap with a few feet to spare. Elizaveta went next, barely managing as the bridge raised farther and farther from the shore. "Hang in tight, angleterre," Francis whispered near his ear, clutching Arthur against his chest as he kicked Sterling into a rapid gallop. The unicorn didn't falter at the slope of the wood, something no horse could accomplish. And Arthur closed his eyes as they hit air, hearing the frustrated yells of the wall top guards. He jolted, his teeth knocking together when they skidded onto the ground, barely missing the water.

There was no pause after they landed, the three steeds racing off into the fading light of day, narrowly avoiding the volley of arrows that followed in their wake.

It must have been long after midnight when they stopped, the horses shaking from exhaustion, and Sterling breathing heavily. Francis caught Arthur as he slipped weakly off the unicorn, concern in his eyes. "Oh cheri," he whispered, feeling the ribs sticking out on the other's body. "Oh cheri, I was so worried I wouldn't make it in time."

Arthur sighed, reaching up to take Francis' face between his hands. "But you did. You came back for me." He could feel the same thinness on the other man as he leaned heavily against him. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he murmured. "I never even got to say goodbye…" He leaned up and kissed Francis lightly, "Or 'I love you.'"

Francis smiled, "You can say it now, as many times as you'd like, angleterre. We're free now. We're free."

Two days later it began to snow. Arthur shivered when the flakes clung to his hair, but he was surprisingly content otherwise. Francis had his arm hooked around his waist, his grip stronger after they'd both eaten for the past few days. And he wasn't surrounded by the confining castle walls and overbearing, cruel parents. He leaned back against Francis' chest, tilting his head to kiss him, "Love you."

"Je t'aime," Francis replied softly.

Beside them, Vash rolled his eyes. "Okay, enough of that. We're about to cross the border into the North Kingdom." He glanced back at Elizaveta. "The High Princess should have already sent for Roderich, so he should meet us at the border."

As if on cue, out of the white of the falling snow same a small battalion of armed knights on horseback. The fact that they were armed at all startled Arthur, as it was unusual for anyone but the castle army to carry weapons inside the safety of their nation. Vash noticed this as the soldier approached, casting a wary glance behind them, "The princess must have gone through with it…"

"With what?" Arthur asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer.

"Succeeding from Hetalia," Vash said, reluctance in his voice. "After what we did, kidnapping you and Liech like that, there were only two choices. Hand over Francis and myself when it was requested, Roderich too, since a woman cannot be tried or succeed to keep us safe. The princess chose our lives over Hetalia." He smirked slightly, "Not that I mind you much, your father's an ass."

Arthur laughed, turning his gaze to watch Elizaveta trot he horse up towards the approaching battalion, nearly causing the man at the head to fall of his own mount when she tackled him. Vash led them forward, shaking hands with Roderich, "Good to see you made it. Did the King give you any trouble?"

Roderich hissed through his teeth, "You sent word for me just in time, friend. I heard just as they were literally on my doorstep. Lucky the West Kingdom is right next door." He ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Except, now I've left High Prince Germania to deal with it. He's not going to like that."

Vash nodded, "I suppose, but he's stubborn, that guy. Not like his poop-headed little squirt. That kid told me he was the chicken king when I saw him last month. What is he, two now?"

Roderich rolled his eyes as he tried to untangle his wife from around his neck. "Something like that. And I think that Roman can hold his own for awhile too. And the castle will be out of their minds if they send armed forces after either. They'll lose all three Kingdoms like that."

"I hate to interrupt," Arthur cut in, "But it's cold, and I have no doubt that it'll only be hours until the castle army catches up to us, since you've now succeeded."

"Of course High Prince," Roderich bowed apologetically, "Right this way. We'll be able to see the fortress of the North Kingdom by tomorrow's dawn if we hurry." He situated Elizaveta behind him, tying her horse to his own as he led the company away into the snow.

* * *

Arthur wasn't sure what to think of the High Princess. She was tall, taller than most women he'd seen, and had short ash-blond hair pinned back with small barrettes. And then of course, she had enormous…

"Look at that rack," Francis said, mouth hanging open. Arthur growled and reached over to dig his nails into his lover's arm.

Vash rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh over the sound of Francis' pained chant of 'Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!' He took a deep bow, doing his best to ignore the two, "Please excuse them, Princess." He motioned toward Arthur and Francis with a brief wave of his hand, the other hand firmly clasped around Liech's. "This is Prince Francis von Bonnefoy, and Crown Prince Arthur Kirkland. Gentlemen, this is High Princess Katyusha."

Katyusha curtsied, holding up the ends of her elaborate silver dress above the floor as she executed the movement gracefully. "Please to meet you, Crown Prince. The North Kingdom has been watching your progress with interest for years. I am pleased to welcome you into my home."

"Likewise, we are grateful for the shelter," Arthur replied politely, returning the bow. "We thank you for your hospitality. Without your aid, Francis and I would surely have died."

The High Princess nodded, "It was my pleasure. And besides, I had little choice in the matter as it was, with Liech chosen as your betrothed. It put the North Kingdom in a rough position, so it was the least we could do."

"A rough position?" Francis echoed.

"Yes," Katyusha admitted regretfully. "As I'm sure you know, the North Kingdom has always been ruled over by a _female_ heir, rather than a male. But as of this date, I only possess a single son. This officially makes Liech my heir until some time as I can produce a daughter," she waved the statement off with a hand as if it was beside the point. "Anyways, I'm being rude, discussing my own problems with you, Crown Prince. Let me show you to the dining hall. I'm sure you're famished by now."

It was only a few minutes later that Arthur found himself seated at a long table, mouth stuffed with food. Not wanting to appear rude, he swallowed and set his attention on the princess again, ignoring the indignant snort from his side as Francis noticed this. "You mentioned you had a son?" he prompted, curiosity getting the better of him. On the way to the dining hall, he had seen the pictures of all of the past High Princesses hung on the walls of the hallway. The lavender eyes and light hair seemed to be the most common trait in all of them, he wondered what such features would look like on a young boy.

At that moment, Francis let out a startled yelp, reaching a hand under the table and pulling out a small child by the back of the shirt. The boy struggled uselessly for a few seconds, before going limp, reaching down with small hands to try and stab Francis' leg again with the fork he held in a tight little fist. When Arthur laughed, the child looked up at him, revealing violet eyes beneath his silvery-brown hair.

Francis raised an annoyed eyebrow at the laughter, "This little demon tried to stab me!" he huffed, trying to make Arthur sympathize with him. But the younger man just laughed harder, clutching his sides.

Katyusha smiled from across the table, which made the small boy shudder, strangely enough. "Maybe he doesn't like you," she said pointedly, at which the child twisted in Francis' grip to poke his tongue out at him. She chuckled softly and waved a scolding finger at the boy, "But you should apologize, Ivan."

Ivan merely struggled some more, flipping to the side to bite Francis' arm.

Arthur choked with laughter as his lover screeched, and he reached over to take the boy from him before Francis decided to hit back. "I think I like you, little one," he said around giggles, trying to ignore the blazing blue eyes glaring at him. "You have my permission to poke him with your fork as much as you like," Ivan smiled at this. The prince returned the smile, catching sight of Francis' mortified face. "So, how old is he?" he asked, directing his attention to Katyusha again.

"One," Katyusha replied. "He's a terror already, isn't he?" However, at that moment, Ivan looked anything but, chewing absent-minded on his fork as if trying to look as innocent as possible.

The prince smiled patting the child's head fondly. "There were never any children at the castle, so this is the first time I've held someone this small." He cast a sidelong questioning glance at Francis out of the corner of his eyes.

The older man smiled slightly, loving the look he received, and how he knew exactly what was being asked of him. "I was the youngest," he said quietly. "So I don't have very much experience with such things either. Except this past year when High Prince Germania would come over with his son."

"Ivan has a playmate a few years older than him, actually," Katyusha chimed in after a moment's thought. "The son of one of our servants."

"Yao!" Ivan piped up helpfully, his eyes glinting at the mention of the other child and surprising Arthur with his first word of the night.

As if called, a slightly older child wearing the long, red, elaborate robes of the nation over the sea came stumbling into the room. He had dark eyes and long black hair tied back in a ponytail and was draped loosely over his shoulder, something that made Arthur blink at first, mistaking him for a young girl. "Please excuse me, aru," the boy said, bowing deeply as he shuffled up to Arthur's side. "I'm sorry that the young master is causing trouble," he reached up and took the child off Arthur's lap, tucking him against his shoulder, to which Ivan gurgled happily.

"No, no, he's no trouble at all," Arthur assured, smirking when Francis gasped and murmured a curse under his breath.

The boy merely nodded, "Well, it is past master Ivan's naptime, so I must be going then, aru."

Katyusha laughed as they watched him go, carrying the child that was already almost half in size. "That's the boy, Wang Yao. He seems determined to become Ivan's sole caretaker, since the day he was born actually. I'd sent most of my maids out for errands that night, and Yao and his mother were the only ones left in the fortress. Oh, and Liech of course. But he's strangely devoted for a five-year-old."

Francis was lost in thought of revenge as he waited for Arthur to take a sip of his tea before he spoke. "I want kids," he proclaimed loudly, and snorted with laughter as his lover choked and spit out the drink all over the table.

Arthur rubbed his napkin over his face and rolled his eyes, "Then marry a girl, idiot."

The older blinked, as if he'd suddenly thought of something, but he didn't continue the conversation. Instead, he turned his gaze to the silver band on his middle finger, the ring that had once belonged to his mother, a small smile on his face.

* * *

To Arthur, the most perfect thing was lying in a warm bed with Francis as snow drifted down outside the window. He traced small, meaningless paths across the other man's bare chest with the tips of his fingers. Exhaustion was creeping up on him, but he didn't sleep. Somehow, he was sure that this perfect, beautiful completion would simply vanish if he did. He sighed, shifting so that he rested between Francis' legs, his fingers continuing their pointless dance across skin.

Francis smiled, reaching up to tangle his fingers in Arthur's hair. "Cheri, I will still be here when you wake up. Tomorrow, and every morning after. So get some sleep." The older man shook his head when Arthur pointedly ignored him, "Would you like to go for a walk, Angleterre?"

Arthur raised his head, emerald eyes shining with curiosity, "An adventure?"

"Always," Francis replied softly, giving his lover a light kiss on the forehead before he wiggled out from under him and swung out of bed. "Now grab your coat, mon Arthur, it's a bit chilly outside."

Arthur laughed, jumping out of bed and grabbing his jacket off a chair by the door as he followed the other enthusiastically.

It wasn't like they had to sneak around, they were allowed in the fortress after all. But it just made it seem more fun, their fingers intertwined and their voices coming in near silent murmurings as they made their way up stairs and down halls. Arthur had assumed that Francis had stayed here before, the way he led with an air of confidence, like someone who knew his way around. The prince shook slightly when he remembered the last time they'd walked like this, how Francis had been pulled away from him. He tightened his grip on his lover's hand, anxiety getting the better of him.

The older man blinked, returning the squeeze with an understanding smile. "I'll never let you go, cheri. _Ne vous inquiétez pas_." He led Arthur along another hall, and then up another flight of stairs, opening the solid wooden door at the top.

Snow was floating in through the stone window when they entered the tower, and Arthur ran up to it to gaze out at the white blanketed world. "I still can't believe it," he whispered quietly, leaning heavily against the sill as he reached out to catch some snowflakes against his outstretched palm, watching as they melted away within seconds. "I never thought I'd actually be here, in the North Kingdom…" He turned slightly as Francis wrapped his arms around the prince's shoulders from behind. "I never thought it'd be someone like you who'd save me either," he added.

"Is that an insult or a compliment?" Francis asked incredulously, his head resting on Arthur's shoulder.

"Both," the younger man smirked. He cast a glance out over the snow again, slight unease at the corners of his mind. "I'm scared, Francis," he whispered, gripping the stone windowsill until his knuckles turned white, "This calm can't last…"

Francis tightened his hold, "Je t'aime, Arthur. Don't let such things linger on your mind." He felt Arthur's hand raise up to clasp his own, an unsteady, uncertain grip. The older man lifted his head from the prince's shoulder, looking out at the snow covered world. He blinked, catching sight of something in the darkness, "Cheri, look."

Arthur followed the movement of Francis' hand to where the man was pointing at the sky and gasped. Thin, waving trails of light were beginning to snake across the dark night sky. They danced over the stars in blues and purples and golden-greens, twisting almost like flames, but the next moment rippling like water. He felt Francis' hand slip out from beneath his, fingers grazing over his palm before sliding cold metal over the second to last finger on his right hand. The prince turned his gaze away from the lights, staring down at the silver band that glinted on his finger with a small smile.

The older blond shifted his arms down to wrap around Arthur's waist, pulling him impossibly closer. "We… We don't need any of that official merde, cheri. After all, it was the laws like that that tried to tear us apart," he murmured. Arthur caught his hand and turned it palm up, taking the Nobility family ring from his left hand and placing it on Francis' right ring finger.

"Can we just stay here… Forever?" the prince whispered, his voice almost breaking as he slid the ring down Francis' finger.

"As long as you wish, cheri," Francis replied.

* * *

Weeks blurred into months. And months passed into years.

Arthur rolled over onto his stomach, reaching over to run his fingers over the light stubble Francis had grown. He smirked as the other laughed in his sleep at the small touch. Sitting up, he groaned as a wave of nausea washed over him, and he swallowed hard to keep from gagging. He yawned, climbing drowsily out of bed and pulling some clothes on before he stumbled out into the hall. As he walked, he took a moment to admire the silver ring on his finger, a feeling of contentment washing over him. Then another half-gag as he struggled to keep stomach intact.

There was a patter of excited footsteps behind him before small arms latched onto his leg, almost making him fall over.

"Arthur! Arthur! Hurry, come quick!" Ivan exclaimed, the seven year old practically climbed up the prince's leg.

The blond wobbled, arms waving wildly as he struggled to keep his balance before he bent down, prying Ivan off and hoisting him up and into his arms. "All right, all right, calm down and take a deep breath." He waited as Ivan sucked in a mouthful of air before he continued, "Good. Now tell me what all the fuss is about."

"Mommy! Mommy's having the baby!" Ivan screamed, letting the breath out, hands thrown in the air as if to emphasize how important this was.

The prince's eyes widened, "Really? Merde. Where's your little friend then, Yao? Ivan, go get him and tell him to wake Francis, Elizaveta and Liech too. Yao's mother has her own hands full with his new brother at the moment. And it's too damn early in the morning for the maids to have arrived yet." He set Ivan down on the ground, wrapping the scarf tighter around the child's neck so he wouldn't trip on the ends before allowing him to dash off in the opposite direction. The blond turned down the other hall, picking up the pace after the first few steps. This was not a good morning to be feeling sick.

Francis had Ivan sitting in his lap a few hours later, hands over the boy's ears and wishing he had a pair of earplugs for himself as he sat with his back against the door. He could hear all the unpleasant, pained noises from the inside of the room, and was having a hard time ignoring them. But with Roderich and Vash out on a border patrol he was left to play guard-dog while practically everyone else was inside the room. But he preferred staying outside as it was, thank you very much.

Ivan had his face buried in the front of Francis' shirt, as if the hands weren't enough to block out the noise. A rare occurrence, since it was always Arthur the child ran to when he was frightened, and Francis continued to receive glares and stabbing sessions with forks. But Arthur was in the room with the high Princess.

The blond turned his attention back to the child, making sift shushing noises and humming in the back of his throat as he curled his legs up and tucked Ivan fully against his chest, trying to block out the worst of the screams. If he really thought about it, Ivan was much more of his and Arthur's child than Katyusha's. The High Princess was almost always away, their nation now being separate from Main Hetalia. He'd lost count of the number of times Ivan had slept between them, rather than in his own bed. The child had been forbidden from sleeping in Yao's since day one. And his real father was taking care of one of the border villages by the ocean, governing the trade with the country Yao had come from. Francis doubted he'd ever met his son.

He blinked as he realized that the hall and the room beyond had grown eerily silent, and a spark of dread coursed through him. The moment passed in a split second, the silence filled with the sound of a small baby's first cry. He grinned, lowering his hands from Ivan's ears. "Ivan, listen!" At that moment, they were knocked forward as Arthur flung the door open, "It's a girl!" the prince laughed happily, pulling them off the ground with a bemused look as if he couldn't understand how they ended up face down on the floor. Ivan was transferred between the two men as Arthur whisked the child into the room, setting him down beside his mother's bed.

Katyusha smiled at her son, holding out the wailing bundle to him, "Here, hold your little sister, Ivan."

Ivan bit his lip but complied, taking the baby into his arms as Arthur sat behind him, watching him in case he stumbled. The child chewed at his lip as he cradled the little girl in his arms, and nearly dropped her when she suddenly grabbed his scarf with tiny fists and stopped crying. Blue eyes opened and she gripped his treasured scarf with renewed fervor.

"She likes you," Arthur said, noticing the unease in Ivan's posture.

"She's creepy," Ivan and Francis muttered in unison.

Katyusha laughed tiredly as she took her daughter from the older child. "Now, now, don't say such things about future High Princess Natalia. I'm sure she'll be a strong and fierce ruler for our land."

Francis shuddered, and Ivan turned and grabbed onto Arthur's leg as if truly afraid of his new sibling. Katyusha smiled again, waving a hand at Francis, "Francis, please take Ivan and Yao to get some breakfast, I'm sure they're half-starved by now. I need to speak with Arthur for a moment."

The Crown Prince opened his mouth in nervous protest but shut it at a glare from Elizaveta across the bed. Francis left without a word, Ivan in his arms and Yao trailing behind him. Elizaveta leaned her hands on the mattress as soon as the other man's footsteps faded away, her eyes furious, "When were you going to tell us that you were sick?!" she burst out in fury.

Arthur narrowed his eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"You left three times during the birth," Liech said quietly from beside Elizaveta, "we heard you throwing up."

The blond hissed between his teeth in frustration, "W-Well, maybe that was because it's kinda gross to watch something like that..."

"Liar!" Elizaveta muttered crossly, leaping over the bed to stand at his side.

"It's really none of your concern!" Arthur snarled, feeling threatened by her viridian glare. His arm curled over his stomach, as if he was protecting something, his own eyes blazing, daring her to make a move.

She took half a step back, the lines on her forehead creasing in worry. She had never seen her cousin act so defensive, even Francis was only half as bad at his worst of times, and that was if you really goaded him. "What the hell Arthur, can't you see we're trying to help you?"

"I can take care of myself!"

Katyusha let out an audible sigh, reaching over to slap Arthur across the face, "Calm down," she said softly, smiling at the shocked look she received, "And tell me how long it's been since you figured it out."

Arthur turned pale and bit his lip until blood pooled in his mouth. "Last week," he mumbled almost inaudibly.

"You know how rare something like this is, don't you?" Katyusha prompted gently. "It's because you're one of the Nobility. Consider it a survival of the bloodline effect. But it could also be because of your powers with the fairies for all I know." She smiled as he swallowed, his fingers splaying out uncertainly over his stomach.

"What am I supposed to tell Francis?" he whispered, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "I can't tell him something like this..."

Elizaveta couldn't take being left out of the loop anymore, "Eeeeeyyaaaarrrggghhhh!" She screamed, throwing her hands in the air, "Tell me first you fucking idiot! What the hell are you talking about?!" She ignored the way Liech covered her mouth with a gasp at the foul language, the brunette's eyes boring holes into Arthur's head.

The prince turned his gaze awkwardly towards the ceiling. "Um... Well, how to say this... I... I guess it must be two months? Yeah, that sounds right, I'm not fat yet after all. I guess you could say I'm almost done with my first trimester?"

His cousin made a strange face, "Huh?"

"Pregnant," Katyusha supplied helpfully, chuckling at the annoyed look Arthur shot her. "He's saying that he's pregnant."

Elizaveta stared at him a moment, before a single syllable escaped her, "Ew..."

"Thanks," Arthur muttered sarcastically, "It's not that great for me to think about either. How it's going to work is beyond me."

"Are you going to tell Mister Bonnefoy?"Liech whispered from the other side of the bed, blushing.

Arthur raised a characteristic eyebrow, wondering whether or not to remind her that he was also called "Mister Bonnefoy" now. But she'd only apologize instead of getting the joke. "I..."

Elizaveta made up her mind very quickly, grabbing her cousin by the arm and not waiting for him to finish the sentence before she dragged him out into the hall and down to the dining room. Once there, she pushed him forward, watching with satisfaction as he nearly tripped over a chair in the process before coming to a halt in front of Francis. The older man blinked up at him owlishly, halfway through the process of trying to force Ivan to eat a spoonful of peas.

Francis stood up, noticing the tears in the corners of his husband's eyes. "Oh cheri!" he exclaimed, worry lacing his voice. "Cheri, cheri, cheri, what's wrong?"

Arthur leaned forward and pressed his face against Francis' chest, choking back a sob, "I'm sorry..."

"Shh... Whatever are you talking about, mon Arthur?" Francis murmured against his ear, wrapping him in his arms once he noticed that Elizaveta had successfully distracted the children sitting at the table. The reply was only another strangled sob, and Francis hugged him closer.

"Tell him right now before I do!" Elizaveta yelled over the noise of Ivan refusing to eat the peas, even with Yao's encouragement.

"I'm fucking pregnant, all right!" Arthur cried.

Francis blinked, "Umm... What?"

"You heard him," Elizaveta sighed flippantly, "And he's not lying either. He threw up three or four times just this morning. And he's practically bawling cause he thinks you'll hate him or something else stupid like that. Tell him you're not mad, or he'll freak out in about ten seconds."

"I don't hate you, cheri," Francis said instantly, leaning down to kiss the other. "Though how something like this happened makes my brain hurt, I admit." He grinned, seeing that Arthur had lapsed into hiccups now, "So, what are we going to name it?"

"Sh-Shut up! That's not something to discuss now, you frog!"

"If it's a girl, I like the name Antoinette. But if it's a boy, I like Alfred." He continued as if not having heard at all.

"Alfred?! That's a horrid name!" Arthur gasped out, trying his best to stifle another outburst of hiccups as he wiped the tears from his face, "Besides, if it's a boy we're naming it Matthew! It sound's much more dignified."

"Or girly," Francis added with a smirk. He reached out to press a hand on his lover's belly with a laugh, "Oh-ho! Look, you've already got a little bulge here!"

"Are you calling me fat?!" Arthur screamed.

Elizaveta rolled her eyes as she watched him, "Why he was so worried about telling him is beyond me. I'd be more worried _for_ Francis. Arthur's already starting to show a hormone imbalance..."

"I'm not!" Arthur retorted, turning a glare in her direction, which she returned with equal force.

xXx

And so here it is, a MPREG chapter. Who is Arthur's and Francis' child? Hehehe, I guess you all know it, right? :0 Mpreg is actually one of my favourite types among the stories and I will figure if I should come up with any one of these story of my own that will contain mpreg. Haha, anyway enjoy the chapter as always.

And here's the hierarchy of Main Hetalia from the highest position to the lowest, as of present timeline. It also includes the characters nationality and origins. Noted that this will only display the characters that has been mentioned/ appeared until this chapter's timeline, more characters might be added in the future chapter.

Hierarchy of Main Hetalia (Highest to Lowest)

High King and Queen (Main Hetalia)

Crown Prince Arthur (Main Hetalia)

High Prince Germania (West Kingdom), High Prince Roman (Southeast Kingdom), High Princess Katyusha (North Kingdom)

Antonio (Southeast Kingdom), Gilbert (West Kingdom), Natalia (North Kingdom)

Ivan (North Kingdom), Liech (North Kingdom)

Vash (North Kingdom), Elizaveta (Main Hetalia)

Roderich (West Kingdom)

Francis (Southeast Kingdom)

Yao (Nation across the sea), Kiku (Nation across the sea)

Commoners

**Disclaimer**: Hetalia and One Last Fairytale do not belong to me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning**: Mpreg, war, bloodshed &amp; characters death (maybe not...)

**One Last Fairytale: Numb**

_Yao looked down at the gentle tug of small hands on the hem of his robes and smile. "What is it Kiku? I told you that you could go play with Alfred and the others today," he reminded gently, reaching down to ruffle the soft dark hair of his younger brother before turning back to the laundry he'd been folding._

_Kiku merely blinked up at him with determined, childish eyes. "But... Aniki, I have a question," he pouted._

_The older brother laughed at the look he received, putting down the laundry to scoop Kiku up into his lap instead. "All right, all right. What did you want to know?"_

_"Alfred said..." There was a slight, unsure, hesitating air about the way that Kiku paused that made Yao's stomach drop, "Alfred said... That we're not supposed to talk about the Old North Kingdom."_

_"The young prince is correct in saying that," Yao whispered, hoping in vain to end the conversation right there._

_"Why?" It was the question every small child asks about things they don't comprehend, "Why can't we talk about it? We can talk about the North Kingdom, but not the... The Old North Kingdom. Why?"_

_Yao sighed and undid his long, tied back hair, letting it fall freely onto his shoulders. "Kiku, this really isn't something a three year old should hear. It's not a pretty tale."_

_"I want to know," Kiku whispered. "Alfred says... Alfred says that we can't talk about it cause it makes his daddies said. I want to know why."_

_"It does make the Kings sad," Yao confirmed, sitting back a bit. "I wasn't lying when I said it wasn't a pretty tale. It's the darkest part of the country's history, and it's still too fresh in King Arthur's mind for him to deal with." He sighed as Kiku tilted his head pleadingly. "Kiku, listen, what I am about to tell you can never, never, be repeated. Not to Alfred, not to the Kings, and more than anyone, not to Ivan do you understand?"_

_"I won't tell."_

* * *

**When I was a little child**

**And I was afraid**

**But a gentle someone always came**

**To drown my tears**

**To sweet sleep my fears**

**And to give a kiss goodnight**

**But now I am grown**

**And these years have shown**

**The winds upon how life goes**

**But it's dark and it's late**

**So I wonder and wait**

**Till the fighting draws to a close**

Francis took in a heavy breath, swirling his fingers across the top of the sudsy bath water. Turning he leaned over the side of the tub to flick some of the soap at the blond sitting on a chair a few feet away with a laugh.

Arthur rolled his eyes and wiped the stuff off on his cheek. "You're immature, you know that?"

The older man smirked, "No more so than you, Cherie. And you're jealous that you can't join me in my bath time."

"I am jealous," Arthur deadpanned, "You know what a pain it is to have to get by with just sponge baths? I want to take a nice long soak."

Francis laughed again, "Well, in all senses, I guess I should apologize, right cherie? One does not conceive a baby by themselves after all," he smirked, making an obscene motion with his fist and index finger, to which Arthur merely glared.

"Right you are, but one person alone has to suffer through the actual carrying and bearing of the child," he snorted. "And believe you me, there won't be anymore 'conceiving' again for a long time."

The shocked look on Francis' face at this statement made Arthur grin, "B-But why not?" Francis gaped, "That's a horrible punishment Cherie! Besides, I'm already in withdrawal as it is!"

"You can't go into withdrawal from lack of sex," Arthur muttered, "You'll live."

"Cherie..." Francis whined, reaching out of the bath pleadingly, "Don't be so cruel."

Arthur sighed and leaned into his touch, kissing him lightly. "We'll see. Anyways, what was that song you were singing?"

Francis' smile returned, "Oh, that? It's an old song that my mother used to sing to me when I was little. I thought we could sing it for the baby one day."

A small smile crept across Arthur's face at this idea. "That would be nice. And speaking of, have you thought of any better boy names yet?"

"I already told you, I'm dead set on Alfred." Francis said irritably, "Can't you take me seriously for once?"

"No, because I already told you that I don't like that name. It sounds more like the name of someone's butler rather than a child," Arthur muttered sourly as he stood up. "And now that I think about it, I promised to help Elizaveta with some sewing today, so have fun with your bath."

Francis stuck out his tongue, "Bleh, you are so not fun when you're pregnant."

"Remind yourself that next time you want to do it in such a weird position," Arthur smirked, closing the door behind him. He really did have somewhere to be, although he probably would have gotten bored sooner or later hanging out in the washroom anyways. Elizaveta seemed insistent upon the idea that he wear dresses now instead of normal man's clothes as he got bigger. And then she had reminded him of the fact that she technically still had complete free reign of his wardrobe even now.

He'd agreed, but only while they were doing meaningless chores or something else. God knows he'd rule the day Francis ever caught him in a dress. So he made his way down the hall as slowly as possible when faced with such situations. Frankly, procrastination was his favourite pastime when it came to Elizaveta's evil schemes. He'd seen Roderich slipping about the castle in just such a manner on many occasions similar to this. No point in dying sooner than you had to after all.

It was then a strange, and out of place thud that first told Arthur that something was wrong. The sound was far off, but he could feel the castle tremble slightly beneath his feet. His hand went to the wall as a second unearthly tremor shook the stones and an audible boomed echoed through the corridors. Arthur shifted and stared back at the hall to his right leading to the far end to the castle, worry growing as the third noise shook the fortress stones.

The scream was what spurned the blond into action, his heart pounding with fear and horrible realization as Ivan's terrified wail echoed down the hall. So Arthur ran, trying his best to maintain his balance as the castle walls began to crack and the structure shivered dangerously beneath him. And he screamed too, crying out the names of people, trying to warn, begging for help.

"Francis! Roderich! Vash! The castle..." He stumbled and fell as the fortress creaked and groaned, his eyes falling upon a nearby window and the scene outside, "The castle is being attacked!"

He passed more windows, the image never changing. He recognized the blue and red flags of Main Hetalia, the horse-drawn catapults and battering rams. He even recognized his father's most prized knight at the head of the army, giving the order just before a volley of flaming arrows hit the walls. Arthur kept running, searching for the source of the scream from before, praying that he wasn't too late now that it could no longer be heard.

The blond had to break down the doors to the High Princess' chamber after he found that it wouldn't open willingly. It was there that he found Ivan, crouched in the far corner. The child was sobbing softly, one hand to his head, blood dribbling out from between his fingers, and the other wrapped tightly around Natalia. Arthur had to push passed a mound of rubble caved in from the roof to reach them, making a comforting shushing sound as he lifted Ivan up into his arms. The boy merely sniffed, burying his face against the other's shoulder.

"Ivan," Arthur whispered, gazing around the room as he made his way to the door again, Natalia whimpering as he tucked her into the crook of his arm close to his chest, "Ivan, where is your mother?" Ivan hiccupped and pointed a shaky finger to the piles of rubble where Katyusha's bed would have been. Arthur swallowed in horror, looking away as he noticed the layer of blood seeping out from underneath the stones. He tightened his grip on both children and made his way out into the hall before running at full speed again.

He skidded out into the hall he'd come from near the bathroom and pushed open the door. "Francis!" There was no answer, and Arthur felt his heart stop as he realized that his husband was no longer there. The blond backed out of the room, skidding down the hall in a different direction as the castle rumbled and shook ominously again. They had to get out, before he went to look for Francis, he at least had to get the children out of the castle safely.

"Yao," Ivan spoke up suddenly, turning his head from where it still rested on Ivan's shoulder, "Yao, where's Yao?"

"Shh..." Arthur hushed, taking a set of stairs two at a time until he reached the first floor. "Shh, he'll be okay. We need to get you out right now, that's all that matters."

"No!" Ivan started to squirm in his arms, eyes wide and his voice rising to a hysterical tone. "No! We can't leave without Yao! We can't leave without Yao!"

Arthur hissed between his teeth as he reached a large stone statue of a bear, ignoring Ivan's screams as he pressed his back against it and shoved it aside. An arrow crashed through a windowpane behind him, catching a tapestry overhead on fire. Slowly, he lowered the children into the passage that had been revealed behind the statue. "Wait here, okay? If I'm not back by the time you can count to five hundred, follow this tunnel outside. Understand, Ivan?" The flames were beginning to lick up the walls and snake along the floor now, and he gazed around for a path that would take him to Francis.

A cold laugh echoed down the hall, and Arthur turned to see a man walking through the fire towards them, and he pushed the children deeper into the passage. "Well, well, if it isn't the Crown Prince who caused our kingdom nothing but hell," the sword the man was carrying rose to just above Arthur's navel and the blonde growled in rage, trying to back up into the tunnel. "You seem to be expecting, from what I've heard. Our orders are to gut you and bring the fetus back, isn't that lovely?" The sword flicked dangerously close to Arthur's stomach, and he cut his hand in a desperate attempt to block it.

The man merely laughed again, raising the weapon with every intention of carrying out his orders. At least, until his blade was suddenly blocked by another.

"Oh Cherie, that was cutting it a tad too close," Francis hissed as he tossed the soldier's blade aside in one swift movement. He turned towards his lover, a small smile on his face, "Now, get those kids down the tunnel, I'll be right behind you."

Arthur nodded, backing up into the passage as he heard the sound of more soldiers approaching. But he didn't go more than a few steps, watching horrified as the first man retrieved his sword, motioning towards his companions. Francis parried off the first few blows with ease, laughing as he did so. Arthur often admired his husband's skill with the blade, but now, it was not out of admiration that he watched: it was absolute fear. Francis was completely surrounded.

The younger blond had no time to warn him, his vision obscured by the smoke and fire as another team of soldiers came down the other end of the hall. Blood hit the prince's face and chest as a sword ripped through Francis' stomach from behind, and he screamed.

The older man gasped in surprise, coughing up a mouthful of blood as the blade was withdrawn. He stumbled briefly, blue eyes locking with Arthur's for one swift, determined moment before his hands found the statue. And Arthur continued to scream as the passage entrance was suddenly sealed shut, Francis vanished into the turmoil inside the castle.

Ivan whimpered, and grabbed Arthur's arm. "We have to go... We have to go..." he whispered, tears welling in his eyes again. "We have to... Arthur..."

Arthur wasn't sure how he'd managed to get outside the castle when he found himself beside the river. Ivan was tucked securely in one arm and Natalia nestled in the folds of his shirt so that he could keep one hand on the wall. The light of the fortress was behind them, then times brighter than on a normal night as the flames spread across it as they crawled into the outside air. The prince shivered with the cold of the October evening, clutching Ivan closer to him. Blood was on his hands from where he'd rubbed it off the front of his shirt and face, and he stared at it, unseeing, for what must have been hours, the castle crumbling and collapsing in flames on the outskirts of his vision.

Francis would come soon, right? Any minute now. That's what he kept telling himself as the night grew darker and darker. He'd promised to meet them. He'd promised. But as dawn slowly began to break, Ivan half asleep in his arms and Natalia at his chest, he realized what must have happened. They were alone. It was the sound of hooves met his ears that snapped him back to reality as the sun broke over the horizon, and for the briefest moments, he thought it was Francis riding the horse that approached them out of the snow that had started to fall. He was dismayed to see that it wasn't, but immensely relieved at the same time. The two figures that emerged from the snow were Vash and Liech, Sterling tied behind them.

Liech had cried in relief upon seeing them, jumping down and hugging Ivan and Natalia, then Arthur. She wiped tears from her eyes as she told them how the entire castle had gone up in flames, and they thought no one else had made it out. Pushing back blond locks from her eyes, she pointed to the child climbing down from the unicorn's saddle.

Yao was covered in dried blood, and he stumbled a bit as he approached them, relief clear in his dark eyes. Ivan didn't open his eyes from the comatose-like sleep that he'd fallen into when Wang Yao knelt down beside him, shaking from exhaustion and emotion. "We thought... You were all dead. Katyusha..." He whispered, voice breaking.

"I know," Arthur whispered, placing a hand on the child's shoulder. "Yao, give Kiku to me."

Vash looked mildly surprised when Yao unraveled the baby from the folds of his long robes, revealing his brother without so much as a scratch on Kiku's face. "Mama... Mama told me to keep him safe. I kept him safe."

"You did good," Liech whispered, taking both Natalia and Kiku from Arthur.

The blond lowered his gaze to Ivan again, holding the sleeping child close, "I'm not going until Francis gets here," he muttered, taking note of Vash's growing impatience.

The older man narrowed his eyes, "We can't stay Arthur. And believe me, I want to too. I was there when the west wing of the castle collapsed with Roderich and Elizaveta still inside. I want to stay and find them, at least their bodies, but we'll get killed by your father's men if we linger much longer." He was silent a moment when Arthur didn't reply before he spoke again, "Arthur, we have to leave before they find us again. We can go to the West Kingdom, it's our best bet for now. We'll alert the Southeast too." He glanced at Arthur with regret clear in his eyes, "We won't let them have died in vain. I'm sure Roman will want revenge because of Franc..."

"Francis isn't dead!" Arthur shrieked, startling Ivan awake, "He's not dead! He's not!" He shook his head furiously, wiping away the tears that had started to fall, "I'd know if he was dead! He's not! He's... He'd not dead..."

The taller man's gaze turned cold. "Arthur, shut up and know when you're wrong. The entire castle burned down. You think I don't know how you feel? Katyusha is gone! Roderich and Elizaveta are gone! They're all gone, Arthur, Francis too, so just shut up so we can get the hell out of here before we join them!"

Liech looked startled, wrapping her arms around Arthur's shoulders as he wailed and screamed, "Vash! Don't say that!" She made a shushing noise, trying to comfort the prince, "Arthur, Arthur, please, calm down. You'll hurt the baby. Arthur, please, the baby..."

Arthur repressed another sob, burying his head against her shoulder. No, he knew it couldn't be true. If Francis was dead, he'd know. He'd know... He had to keep telling himself that, or he'd die as well.

* * *

Arthur wasn't sure when they had arrived in the West Kingdom, only that they had. He vaguely recalled cold and sleepless nights with Ivan tucked against his side and Natalia at his chest. He remembered carrying every one of the children at some point or another as their eyes drooped with exhaustion or when they wailed with hunger. On the second night, he and Liech had stayed awake with Kiku and Natalia, tired midnight hours crushing up and adding warm water to whatever food they had so the babies wouldn't starve.

As if he'd been expecting them, High Prince Germania met them on the outskirts of the West Kingdom. His long blond hair was behind his back with a single thin braid over his right ear. He was leaning on the battlements of what appeared to be a freshly built wall when he saw them, and he called for the gates to be opened as he rushed down to meet them.

"Been waiting for us?" Vash joked sarcastically, stepping down off his horse.

"Don't be stupid," Germania drawled, "The Fires of the North Kingdom could be seen from here." He sighed, running a hand through his golden hair, exhaustion clear on his face, "I was hoping there would be more survivors than this."

Vash's eyebrows furrowed together, "Yes..." He stared at the cobbled stone road at his feet. "But we did save all three heirs to the North. And the Crown Prince too. That's at least something to be grateful for, isn't it?"

Germania raised his eyes to where Arthur sat with Ivan and Natalia on Sterling. "_The_ Crown Prince? Crown Prince Arthur?" The younger blond merely nodded in confirmation, emerald eyes glazed and unseeing.

Vash glanced at him sympathetically before turning his attention back to Germania, "As you can see by our company, Francis von Bonnefoy is not among us. It's... Rather hard on him. And besides, a few words to Liech and Ivan, he hasn't spoken at all."

"Understandable," Germania whispered. "But, am I correct in assuming that my nephew and his wife..."

The North soldier's face darkened, "The whole castle went up in flames and crumbled to the ground," he said simply, directing his eyes at the stone road again. "I... I saw Roderich and Elizaveta disappear beneath the ash and rubble." Taking notice of the freshly built wall whose gates they passed through, he changed the subject, "When did you build that?"

Germania smirked slightly, "A week or so ago. Took awhile, but we made it in record time. It stretches all the way around the West Kingdom." His eyes narrowed, "We had no choice but to build it really, the King has gone fucking insane, Vash. He was threatening Roman a month or so ago and it's all gone downhill from there." He motioned to the wall sadly. "Right now, that's the only thing keeping the West Kingdom from being burned to the ground like the North was."

Arthur had looked up at the mention of Francis' father and his own in the same context. "What did he want with Prince Roman?" he asked, his voice sounding hoarse from days of misuse.

The High Prince raised an eyebrow, knowing he'd caught Arthur's attention. "You wouldn't have heard, I 'spose, since the North Kingdom succeeded. But the Southeast is sheltering a pair of very special twins right now. Twins your father wants to kill more than anything else besides yourself and your husband." He glanced at the Crown Prince, hoping he hadn't struck a nerve before continuing to explain. "Those twins are what the royalty would call _half-blood_. Half lower chain Nobility, half commoner. A servant girl was the mother, last name Bonnefoy. The sister of Francis' mother." Germania sighed, "I guess you could say your loon of a father is taking everything out on the two because of the similarities and relation to Francis."

The Crown Prince clenched his teeth, fury clear in his emerald eyes. "Just because of their blood?" He let out a snarl. "Blood is nothing. Francis..." Arthur closed his eyes, clenching his fist, as if he could see something that they could not. "Francis' blood was the same colour as mine. And so was Ivan's. Yao's too. It's all the same." He opened his eyes again, determination flaring in them, "There will be no more unnecessary bloodshed because of class. I won't have it."

Germania smirked as if he'd only been waiting for such words, "Are you suggesting we act, Crown Prince?"

Arthur smiled, the first, though small, smile in days. "If you'll have me, I'd like to change the way Hetalia is governed. But in order to do so, I think I need to take the throne that should rightfully be mine, don't you agree?"

"But of course, _King_ Arthur," Germania said smoothly. "We've only been waiting for your return." He turned to one of the guards following them, "Go now, ride to the Southeast and alert Roman. The King has returned."

Arthur nodded to the guard gratefully as he dashed off towards the stables before turning to Vash. "You'll help us, won't you Vash?" he asked hesitantly.

Vash bit his lip. "Idiot, I have friends and a High Princess to avenge, of course I'll help. I want to get rid of the Nobility once and for all." He held out his hand for Arthur to take, "Just promise that I get to be the one to gut that piss-head of a father of yours."

"I won't be going into battle, so feel free," Arthur laughed and accepted Vash's hand.

* * *

To Ivan, the West Kingdom castle was even larger than the North Kingdom's, even though there was much less land around it, and had a lot less people inside it. Arthur was busy planning a war with High Prince Germania and Vash, and Liech and Yao had their hands full caring for Kiku and Natalia. So Ivan was exploring since there seemed to be nothing better to do.

He held little remorse for what had happened to his mother. In truth, he had grown up hardly ever seeing her aside from the few months after Natalia was born. But inside, his heart still pounded with fear as he recalled the roof of Natalia's room collapsing. How he'd snatched his sister from her cradle just before the wood and stone crushed it. And more than anything else, he'd wanted to cry when he looked at Arthur, the blonde's glazed eyes that still retained hope for his husband that had vanished into the flames.

So he wandered down the eerily empty halls, feeling the edges of tapestries and curtains and tracing the patterns on intricate wooden doors. Half of him wanted to just go and pester Yao anyways, but he knew that the older boy would eventually snap under the strain of looking after both him and Kiku. And he didn't want to see that. So he'd stay out of the way for now.

He stopped with his hand against one of the doors, turning slightly as he noticed the noises from inside. But that wasn't the reason he'd paused, there had been noises in some of the other rooms too after all. Maids talking and butlers preparing trays of food for the castle's guests. This time however, he could swear what he heard was a... a chicken?

Slowly, he cracked the door open, peering inside cautiously. He wasn't sure if he should laugh at what he saw, or be extremely disappointed that it wasn't a chicken that was making that noise. Another boy who seemed to be about the same age as him was jumping spastically around the room and flailing his arms, making chicken noises of all things. He turned as Ivan opened the door, revealing silver-white hair and startling crimson eyes. The boy paused mid step, arms still half raised in the air and only looking slightly startled that someone had discovered him doing something so weird.

"What, you've never seen someone act like a chicken before?" he asked sarcastically, lowering his hands to his hips.

"No," Ivan said quietly, "I haven't."

The other boy raised a skeptic eyebrow as if he couldn't quite believe that. "Oh." He sat down on the floor, patting the empty space of carpet in front of him, an indication for Ivan to sit, and he did. "I haven't seen you around before," the albino stated, pointing out the obvious.

"I just got here," Ivan deadpanned, crossing his legs.

The scarlet eyed child stared at him curiously for a moment smiling, "Okay then. Let's play!"

Ivan blinked, "Play?"

"Uhmm... Yeah, play." The albino snorted, standing up and holding out a hand towards the other child. "Ever heard of it?" He laughed at the confused look Ivan gave him, "Don't worry then, we'll play together. I'll show you how!" He grinned, "What's your name?"

"Ivan."

The other boy smile, taking Ivan's hand and pulling him up, "I'm Gilbert." He pointed dramatically at the ceiling with his other hand, "Now, we're gonna play the Bird Game!"

"Bird Game?" Ivan echoed. The complete truth was that he'd never really done anything close to playing before. His mother had been training him in the proper mannerisms of the North Kingdom royalty, or having a special instructor teach him how to use a sword properly. When he was with Yao, they would read together underneath the kitchen counters in quiet whispers, but that wasn't playing. Arthur and Francis read him stories too. There hadn't been any real 'playing'.

Gilbert nodded, "You know, like I say the name of a bird and then we pretend to be it. It's awesome." He paused a minute, a comical look of concentration on his face. "Let's see... How about... A peacock!" Ivan could only stare as the other boy began to strut jerkily around the room. "Come on!" he called, "Be a peacock!"

So Ivan imitated him, having never seen the creature aside from a storybook he'd had. Gilbert laughed, leading him in a small parade around the room. "Now duck!" he declared, splaying his feet and starting to waddle.

Ivan smiled, "No, no! You have to quack too or you're not a real duck!"

"Ah, you're right!" The albino exclaimed, adding a quack to his waddle, "Now you pick the bird, quack."

The taller child paused his waddle, "Umm... Eagle?"

Gilbert whooped and turned to leap onto the bed on the far side of the room, pulling Ivan up behind him. He clasped their hands together, knees bent in the ready position, "Okay, when I say go, you jump. Got it?"

"Why?"

"So it feels like we're flying, just like an eagle," Gilbert grinned, gripping the other's hands tighter. "Ready? One... Two... Jump!"

Ivan's stomach dropped as they leapt into the air, springing off the mattress hand in hand. Their feet touched the sheets again and Gilbert crouched down to give them an extra boost, grabbing a blanket off the edge of the bed as he did so, letting go of one of Ivan's hands so that he could tie it around his neck. When they jumped again, the blanket flared out behind the albino, looking almost like wings Ivan knew he was pretending it was. And the child from the North Kingdom laughed at the sight, their hands falling together again as they bounced on the bed. He gasped in surprise as Gilbert mid-air tackled him, covering him with the blanket and pushing him down with a grin.

"You laughed! You laughed!" Gilbert shrieked as though this was the best thing in the world as they wrestled around on the bed, trying in vain to untangle themselves from the blanket. Eventually, Gilbert just gave up and pulled another blanket up from the end of the bed, enveloping them both with it as he sat up, the soft cloth resting on their heads. "It's our secret base, kay?" he whispered.

"Kay," Ivan whispered back, trying to be secretive. He sat up a bit more, the first blanket still tangled around his feet. The trail ends of his scarf lay among the twisted blanket and he tightened the article around his neck, picking up the ends to hold them in clenched fingers. There were small burns and holes on the fraying edges from the night of the North Fortress had collapsed, and he narrowed his eyes at them, wishing they'd disappear.

Gilbert noticed the look and leaned forward, his hands falling over Ivan's tight fists, "I... Why don't you tell me about it," he squeezed Ivan's hands, "I'll listen."

Ivan was silent a moment before he turned his hands upwards, dropping the ends of the scarf and squeezing the fingers around his own. "My mommy..." He began, voice trembling a bit. "My mommy gave me this scarf. She gave it to me because I don't like the cold, even though we lived in the North Kingdom." He paused, sucking in a shaky breath and staring up the blanket sheltering them from the world, "My mommy died."

The albino lowered his gaze, unsure of what to say. But he gripped Ivan's hands tighter. "Did you love your mommy?"

"No," Gilbert's eyes widened at the stranger answer. "I cared about her... But I don't think it was the love I should have had. She was never around. Sometimes I would go so long without seeing her that when I did see her, I didn't recognize her." He swallowed, staring at Gilbert questioningly, "Is that... Is that a bad thing to say?"

The other boy twined their fingers together, "Nuh-uh... There's no rule on loving your mother. I think." He looked thoughtful for a moment, "So, you don't have a family then?"

Ivan tilted his head to the side. "I have Arthur, and Natalia, and... and Francis..." He trailed off, dropping one of Gilbert's hands to fiddle uncomfortably with the tattered ends of his scarf.

Gilbert used his empty hand to take a look at the damage to the article. "I can fix that, you know." He said after a moment.

"You can?"

The other child grinned, "Yup! Wait here, kay?" He wiggled out from beneath their makeshift hideout and came back a moment later with a small box. He pushed the blanket up again and slid back inside, opening the lid of the item to reveal a collection of needles and thread. "What colour?"

"...Red?" Ivan said, unsure of what colour he wanted the stitches to be. But he wanted them to stand out, so that he'd remember why they were there in the first place. He watched as Gilbert threaded the needle and began to fix the frayed edges right away. He cut away the burned parts and pulled what remained back together with the thread, repairing the holes and tears with careful movements. When he finished it was an inch or so shorter than before, but otherwise it looked much better.

"Do you want me to add a heart here?" He asked, pointing to the corner of one end.

"Why?" Ivan asked in bewilderment. There was nothing wrong with that corner.

"For the mommy that gave it to you," Gilbert whispered, "Because if she gave it to you, she must have loved you."

Ivan rubbed a hand over his eyes, hiding the sorrow that had appeared there. "Kay." He looked up when Gilbert had finished, holding up the other end of the scarf to him. "Put some hearts here too." He pointed to the corner. "Two big ones, a medium one and a little one. For Arthur and Francis and Natalia and me."

So Gilbert did, biting the thread off after he'd finished, tying it off as he examined his handiwork. "How's that?"

"Good," Ivan whispered, fingering the small stitches. "Thank you."

Gilbert grinned proudly, "Anytime!" He too turned to look at the stitched hearts. "So, um, this Arthur... Is he your dad?"

"No."

"Then where will you go when he leaves?"

Ivan's eyes widened, he'd never thought about it like that. Arthur had been around for as long as he could remember, a permanent fixture. He'd forgotten that the man wasn't his family. His eyes filled almost immediately with tears and he held back a sob. Would he be all alone with Natalia when Arthur left?

The albino startled with surprise at the tears that began to trickle down Ivan's face, reaching over to wipe them away with his sleeve. "Oh no, no no! Don't cry, I'm sorry I made you cry!"

"It wasn't you," Ivan hiccupped. "I just... If Arthur leaves, Natalia and I'll be all alone now without my mommy."

"I'll be here," Gilbert whispered, trying to calm the onslaught of tears and sobs.

"But you can't take care of me," Ivan pointed out, "you're too little."

Gilbert stuck out his lower lip, "Then just go tell this Arthur guy what you think. Tell him you want to stay with him."

"What if he says no?" Ivan sniffed.

"I'll be here. I'll think of something."

* * *

Arthur was sitting on the bed he'd been provided with, reading, when the door opened a crack. He raised his eyes towards it, feeling slightly apprehensive after the events in the North until he heard small voices.

"Just get in there and do it!"

"What if he says no?!"

"Get in there and you'll find out!"

The blond smiled as Ivan was shoved inside the room, another boy with silver-white hair falling in after him when the taller child turned and dragged him down with him and they toppled to the floor. "Anything you need Ivan?" He asked lightly, closing his book and placing it on the bedside dresser.

"No," Ivan said immediately.

"Yes!" Gilbert yelled, getting a punch in the arm from the other boy.

The Crown Prince patted the bed beside him, "Come here then." He glanced at the other boy, "Oh, and Gilbert? Your father was looking for you."

"Ah, shoot," Gilbert muttered, dashing out of the room with a dismayed look from Ivan directed at his back as he left.

Arthur patted the bed again, watching as Ivan nervously climbed up beside him and sat down on his knees, shifting from side to side uncomfortably. "Ivan?" Arthur prompted, watching the way the child's hands had clenched around the ends of his long scarf.

"Mommy's gone," Ivan said quietly.

"Yes," Arthur whispered, reaching over to run his hands through the boy's hair.

Ivan stared up at the hand, relaxing a bit under the touch before he turned his eyes so that lavender met emerald. "I... I want to know what will happen to me. Who's going to take care of me now that mommy's gone?"

Arthur looked startled, as if he'd just assumed that Ivan wouldn't worry about such a thing, or that maybe the answer had seemed obvious, "I'll take care of you, Ivan."

"Really?" Ivan looked surprised, which made Arthur laugh.

"Of course. I'll take care of both you and Natalia for as long as you need me."

Ivan unclenched his hands, revealing the end of the scarf with the four hearts stitched into it, "A family, like this?"

The blond smiled, placing a finger on each heart, "Yes. What's the fourth one for, the baby?" he pointed to his swollen stomach.

"For Francis," Ivan said simply.

Arthur's mouth formed into a tight line, his characteristic eyebrows knitting together, "... For Francis..."

"Because we should all be together," Ivan murmured.

"That's right," Arthur whispered, drawing him up into his arms, hugging him close so that the child couldn't see his tears. "So we can all be together..."

xXx

*weeping...* RIP, Francis... Poor Arthur, it must have been hard on him. ;A; But hey, you might know something if you read the first chapter, do you?

Anyway, Kiku made his first debut in this chapter since he is also one of the main characters in the story to emphasize on his larger role. Also, this chapter also marks the first meeting between Ivan and Gilbert.

For now... Can I have some reviews so that I can update faster? Russia-chan wants a little comfort or he will beat you with a pipe, kolkolkolkol...


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning**: War (again?), characters death (for real this time), Mpreg and birth scene.

**One Last Fairytale: I Will Carry You**

For Ivan, days in the castle of the West Kingdom were spent in secret forts and the tallest of trees. Afternoons were for lying around in empty hallways and sneaking around dark corridors. Hand in hand in hand in hand. Night time was for one last imaginary battle and a bedtime story with Arthur.

For Arthur, days in the castle of the West Kingdom were spent in the expansive dining hall, surrounded by people who would help him regain his throne. Afternoons were small discussions and plans between High Princes Roman and Germania with Vash and himself. Evenings were when he would spend an hour or so with Natalia and Kiku, helping out Liech and learning about caring for the children. He'd be expecting his own soon after all. And then at the very end of the day he would curl up with Ivan and read his adopted son a story from the tomes of old fairytales in Germania's library.

And for Arthur, midnight was spent at the top of the castle's tallest watchtower, leaning against the stone windowsill and searching for the distant figure he knew would never come. And every morning just before dawn, Liech would come and drag him to his bed, scolding him on how he needed to sleep and that standing out in the cold wasn't good for him. But she never came any earlier than that, as if she knew that his searching and hoping was what kept him going.

Currently, Arthur was relaxing on one of the elaborate sofas in his room, staring out over the gardens where Ivan and Gilbert were playing. Even though it was mid December and the leaves had long fallen off of the trees and bushes, the pair seemed not to mind as they ran through the dead grass in the chilly air. The blonde's hands rested against his swollen stomach and he smiled when he felt the babies kick. It had been only a few days ago that Liech had told him that she suspected that it was twins, but he could still hardly believe it. Prince Roman had jokingly tried to discuss names with him, but he had declined. There was really only one thing he could name them, and he wasn't going to change that.

He looked up as the door creaked open and Vash sidestepped into the room, Liech hanging onto his arm. "We'll be leaving soon," he said quietly, his eyes avoiding the girl who clearly didn't want him to go. "Will you see us off?"

Arthur heaved himself off the couch, Vash stepping forward to help him up. "It was my plan," the blond muttered, resting a hand on his aching back as he stood. "If I had it my way, I'd be riding into battle with you."

Vash rolled his eyes, "Please refrain from doing so, sire."

"Don't call me that," Arthur snorted, following him down the hall towards the large oak double doors that led outside. "If I'm taking down the Nobility, then the silly titles between ranks are gone as well." He smiled, "Even when I'm king, I still want to just be called Arthur, thank you very much."

High Prince Roman waved as they exited onto the grounds, bringing his horse up beside them. "I'm looking forward to this," he smirked, stepping down to shake Arthur's hand. "I can't wait to gut some Nobility soldiers with this sword."

"Just make sure you don't gut yourself," Germania muttered under his breath as he rode up to them. The blond cast a glance around at the gathered army, "Roman, where's Antonio?"

Roman winced and shrugged, "Oh, I dunno... I think we should just leave without him." He turned to Arthur and dropped something that looked strangely enough like a key into his hand, ducking down to whisper in his ear. "He's locked in the storage closet in the kitchens. Don't let him out till we're long gone, okay?"

Arthur smiled and pretended he'd heard nothing. "He'll be pissed, you know that right?"

"Pissed is better than dead," Roman whispered between his teeth as he grinned innocently at Germania. "It's bad enough that Francis is gone, and that _high and mighty_ over there insists on coming too. But I won't have my other son killed as well." He turned to rub his hand on Arthur's belly, "Name one after me, got it?"

"I'll consider it as a middle name," Arthur laughed, swatting his hand away. "Just make sure you win so that you can tell them of your heroic deeds when they're born."

Roman's smile faltered, "Oh, but Antonio can tell them all that too, you know? It doesn't have to be me."

The blond didn't catch his reluctant hesitation, distracted as Ivan and Gilbert came barreling out of the doors towards them. Gilbert stood next to his father's horse, holding the hand of a small blue-eyed, blond haired boy just barely old enough to walk. Germania laughed and lifted them both up onto his lap. "Gilbert," he said softly, "Take care of your little brother, all right?"

"Uh-huh."

"And teach him lots of words, he hasn't talked at all yet. Silly thing," the High Prince rubbed the blonde's hair fondly. "But none of those dirty words I hear you and Ivan saying when you think we can't hear you."

Gilbert whistled and looked away. "What, no... I've never said any dirty words." Ivan laughed below and the albino shushed him with a finger to his lips.

"And when he falls down, pick him back up and take care of his cuts," Germania continued. "If he cries, sing him a song until he stops. And make sure you hug him every day, just to show him you care."

"Lame," Gilbert deadpanned.

"Promise me," Germania smiled, taking his hand, "Promise me, okay?"

"Kay," Gilbert whispered as the High Prince lifted him and his brother back down to the ground. Roman grinned and hopped back on his horse, motioning for the army to get a move on. Vash stood where he was for a moment before leaning over to whisper something in Liech's ear and kissing her on the cheek before he mounted his own horse and followed.

"Come back in one piece!" Arthur called after them, waving, Liech sniffing beside him, trying not to cry. Gilbert held his brother's hand with his left, and with his right he squeezed Ivan's biting his lip as his father's words sunk into him.

Arthur and Liech herded the children back into the castle as the gates closed on the outer wall. Castle guards locked the oaken doors behind them and they began to head back into the deeper parts of the castle. The blond showed Liech the key he'd been given after a moment, wondering when it would be safe to let Antonio out of the storage closet. As it was, they could already hear his furious yells even though they had yet to reach the kitchens. In the end, they sat on the counters eating frosting from a bowl with the children and waited an hour or so for the noise in the closet to die down before they let Antonio out.

And as they suspect, he was furious. But by now he was also exhausted from trying to break the door down. "Stupid..." He panted, hands on his knees as Arthur finally opened the door. "Stupid old man..."

"Oh quit whining," Arthur snorted, "you can help out around here if you're so set on doing something."

"I wanted to avenge Francis!" Antonio snarled, standing up fully.

Arthur's eyes narrowed, "You don't need to avenge someone who isn't dead," he said calmly.

Antonio's eyes blazed with anger at this, "How long are you going to keep saying that? Until you die? Because that's the only time you're ever going to see him again! He's gone, Arthur! You saw him get stabbed through the stomach, no one lives through that!"

"Stop..." Liech tried to cut in, stepping between them.

"I saw, yes." Arthur hissed. "But I think that after all this time, I would know if he had died. I can still feel him! Can't you understand that?"

"That's just your futile hope telling you that!" Antonio yelled, balling his fists at his side. "He would have shown up by now if he was alive! But he hasn't! He hasn't even once come to see how you were! Doesn't that tell you anything?!"

"Stop!"

"It tells me that he can't get to me right now!" Arthur screamed. "He's alive, and I _am_ going to say so until the day I die, even if he's not... there..." His mouth fell open in a silent gasp and his hands that had been half raised to slap Antonio lowered to his stomach.

Liech's face paled and she turned towards him fully, "Arthur?"

"...Hurts..." Arthur whispered, characteristic eyebrows furrowing together in pain. "Something's wrong..."

The girl's eyes widened and she glared at Antonio fiercely. "You idiot! Go get as many towels as you can find." She directed her sharp gaze at Gilbert and Ivan. "And you two, go get Yao and boil some hot water. At least two good sized pans." When the children had dashed off, she noticed Antonio still standing there, dumbstruck. "Get going! If he miscarries now, it'll be your fault, you moron!"

Arthur rested a hand on the counter behind him, legs shaking as Liech yelled orders. The fact that she was yelling was enough to make him worry, but that last sentence rang coldly in his ears. _Miscarries_... "No..." He whispered, biting his lip as another wave of pain washed over him. Whatever god was watching him must have a cruel sense of humor for this to happen right now. He'd already lost Francis, he would not lose the babies too.

Liech led him into the nearest bedroom, saying comforting things to him that he didn't quite hear. He was too distracted, one hand on his aching stomach, the other over his heart. _Francis... Francis, please hurry..._ _You have to help me..._ He tightened his fingers into the fabric of his shirt above his heart, telling himself that if he said the words loud enough in his mind that Francis would hear him. Somehow, somewhere.

* * *

Vash led the way through the crumbled wall of the Main Hetalia castle, trampling one of the Nobility's soldiers with his horse as he went. "Don't light fire to your arrows around the castle!" he called to his men, "We need it intact!" Boulders crashed to the ground behind him, toppling the stone wall that had protected the castle. He pulled on the reins, slowing his steed to a gentle canter as they approached the castle itself. "Ready the battering ram!" he ordered, watching as one of their battalions hefted up an enormous log between them, "Three, two, one!"

The door's creaked and groaned from the impact, but didn't crack. Vash growled in annoyance, lifting his hand for them to ram it again. "Three, two, one!" The wood snapped audibly, splinters falling to the ground at the soldier's feet. "Three, two, one!" The door heaved and split, Vash grinning in triumph, "One more time! Three, two, one!"

Roman laughed as the door buckled and groaned, falling inwards as their soldier's swarmed against it, pushing it down. He could clearly hear the startled cries of guards and maids inside, warning calls to the tyrant king hiding somewhere in there. "Don't hurt the workers there," he reminded his men as they raced past him, "Soldiers and the King and Queen are fair game though."

Germania pulled up beside him, "The Queen too? Are you sure?"

The brunette smirked, "She's just as responsible for Arthur's misfortune as her husband. Corrupt is corrupt. Gender makes no difference." He kicked his horse forward, forcing it into a gallop towards the doors. "So, since Vash already called dibs on the King, wanna see who can gut the most soldiers?"

The blond snorted, following at a slower pace, "I'll win anyways."

Vash urged his soldiers on around them, pressing through what resistance they met. He raised his sword in triumph when they burst into the front hall, the massive double staircase looming in front of them. He forced his horse into a steady gallop, charging up the steps, eyes on the large tapestry of the royal family hanging there. Raising his blade, he drew the metal across it, carving the heads off the king and queen, tossing them to the floor so that only the image of a young Arthur remained. "King Arthur!" he roared, starting a battle cry among his men.

They surged up the stairs, pushing the Main Hetalia soldiers over the railing. Vash hissed in startled surprise as an arrow shot past him, nicking his shoulder. He clasped a hand over the wound, blinking at the strange tingling such a small cut had left. "Shit... Avoid the arrows!" he called over his shoulder, "They're poisoned!" The blonde winced as another arrow bit into the same arm and he raised his sword to block a third. "Don't falter! Break their ranks!"

He forced his way through the Main Hetalia soldiers, cutting them down from atop his steed. His teeth met his lip as he felt his arm beginning to grow numb. Vash eyed the fighting around him, knowing that he needed to suck out the poison as soon as possible. But he also knew too well that the places he'd been were nearly impossible to reach himself. He tried to ignore it for a moment, tearing down another offending portrait of the king as he passed. He planned to construct a lovely bonfire with them later.

Suddenly, his horse reared up, frightened by the soldier pointing a spear at its face in an effort to force Vash to the ground. An effort that succeeded. The blond gasped in surprise, toppling over backwards onto the marble floor. His eyes widened and he rolled over onto his side as his horse came crashing down on top of him. Stabbed in the chest with the spear. Vash coughed, clawing at the ground to pull himself out from beneath the slain creature, his lower half from his bottom rib down pinned to the floor. The blond tried pushing up, but his numbed arm gave way beneath him, unable to support even his own weight.

Vash's vision blurred with the poison and he scrabbled helplessly at the ground again, searching for a handhold on smooth marble. "Fuck," he cursed under his breath, fingers curling into his palms, forming into a frustrated fists. He couldn't die here. Not here, not now. He'd promised Liech he'd be back! He reached for something, anything to pull himself out again, the weight of the horse beginning to crush him. But the effort was in vain. And the more he struggled, the faster the poison spread. He couldn't see a way to escape fate at this point.

The blond squeezed his eyes shut, struggling for breath with the horse slowly smashing him into the floor. "Sorry... Arthur," he whispered, "I couldn't avenge Francis for you. I'm sorry..." He bit his lip as a wave of pain laced through his arm, "Sorry... Liech, for not coming back." He breathed in shakily. "I'm sorry... Roderich... For not being able to reach you in time. I couldn't... Couldn't save you..."

"You are forgiven."

* * *

Antonio sat with his head in his hands, his mind far from the battle raging in the Main Hetalia castle far away. He groaned at the giggles and screeches and wails that surrounded him, cracking open an exhausted eye in annoyance. "Why are there so many freaking children in this place?" he grumbled to himself.

"Because there are," Gilbert said unhelpfully from the floor, where he was currently tied up with Ivan's scarf in a game of guards and robbers, playing the failed robber.

The Southwest Kingdom prince raised an eyebrow, "But there are seven of you in this room alone! I feel like Snow White!" he exclaimed. "And hell, I don't even know most of your names! And why was I placed on babysitting duty?!"

"Because that's just how it is," Ivan said, imitating Gilbert's earlier statement.

"And our names aren't that hard to remember," Gilbert chimed in. "Look," he pointed to himself, "I'm Gilbert, you can remember me because I'm awesome." He pointed to his companion leaning heavily against his shoulder, "And that's Ivan. We are both equally awesome. So together, we are doubly awesome. Remember it well."

He turned to the blanket on the floor where all the other children were huddled, "And over there is Natalia," he said, motioning towards the fair haired baby on hands and knees scotching slowly towards Ivan, "She's just starting to crawl, and she's the only girl." He turned the hand towards the next child with dark hair who was levering himself up onto chubby, wobbly legs using the sofa as a stabilizer, a determined look in his equally dark eyes. "That's Kiku," Gilbert explained, "He's probably going to be walking soon, so watch out." At the mention of his name, Kiku turned to look at the albino, promptly sneezed, and fell back down onto his butt, walking/standing efforts thrown to waste. The older boy merely laughed at this, turning to the next baby, or rather, pair of babies, "That's Lovino and Feliciano, they're the youngest. You brought them, you should know that much at least."

"Doesn't mean I can tell them apart," Antonio complained.

Gilbert gave him a _you're hopeless_ look before continuing, "Feliciano is the happy one and Lovino is the grumpy one, like in the Seven Dwarves." He sighed in exasperation at Antonio's blank stare and motioned to the final child with slicked blond hair, laying on his stomach and gazing at Feliciano curiously, "And that's West. I mean… Ludwig. He's my little brother."

Ivan sighed as Antonio merely blinked in reply, draping his arms over Gilbert's shoulders lazily, "Oh, leave him be. He's booorrriiiiinnnggg."

"Gah! I'm not boring!" Antonio yelled, throwing his hands in the air as Ivan smirked broadly.

"Antonio!" Yao came skidding into the room, casting Ivan a brief smile before turning to the man. "Antonio, we need your help, please."

Antonio's eyes widened, "Wait, what? I know I was just complaining about babysitting, but I'd rather do that than baby… delivering…" he shuddered at the thought of it.

"Liech says 'get in there or die,'" Yao quoted with a serious look on his face, "We need more hands."

A few minutes later, Antonio found himself wincing in pain as his hand was crushed in Arthur's firm grip. "You could have told me that you needed literal hands!" he hissed, swearing he could hear his bones cracking.

Arthur took a shaky breath, slowly opening bleary, pained eyes towards him, "S-sorry…" He whispered.

"S' okay," Antonio mumbled, squeezing his hand back lightly, "It's my fault anyway. The least I can do is stand here until my moron brother gets back, right?"

"Yeah," Arthur nodded, gripping the other's hand harshly again with the next contraction, crying out, "You… Might not… Get this hand back…" He panted, biting his lip to stifle another loud yell.

"It's a gift," Antonio laughed weakly, dabbing a damp cloth across the blonde's brow. He cast a nervous glance towards the opposite direction of the bed, "How's it going down there, Liech?"

The girl looked up from between Arthur's raised legs, something the Crown Prince tried to burn from his mind, covering his mortified face with his free hand. "The first one might be a breech birth," she said slowly, worry clear in her viridian eyes.

"And that is…" Antonio prompted.

"Born feet first and…"

"Hurts like shit!" Arthur gasped out, making Antonio yelp at the force his hand was being crushed with. The blond whimpered, pressing his face into one of the pillows that had been piled around him, cursing into the fabric.

"Ah Yao, grab those towels, quick," Liech directed suddenly, "I can see the baby. Arthur, I'm going to need you to push now."

"What do you think I've been doing?!" Arthur snapped, the retort ending with another scream of pain.

"Oh look, my fingers have gone purple," Antonio remarked to himself, "Lovely…" He sighed and gripped the hand squishing his into oblivion in return, "Okay, Arthur. On the count of three. One, two…"

"Three already!" Arthur cried, his free hand twisting into the sheets in pain. He gasped as a suddenly empty, or rather, half empty feeling washed over him, opening his eyes to try and see over the edge of the bed.

"It's out," Yao said quietly. But besides that statement, he was frozen to the spot. Liech was holding the bundle of towels in her arms, eyes watering as she stared down at the child amidst the folds.

Arthur held his breath. Why wasn't there any crying? Babies always cried as soon as they were born, right? "Why isn't it crying?" he asked softly, straining to sit up, but Antonio held him down, eyes wide, "Why isn't my baby crying?!"

* * *

Vash tried his best to blink away the bleary fog that clouded his eyes, to little avail. The fighting still raged on around him, but he paid it little heed. Someone's hand was gripping his, tightly, comfortingly. He could hear voices close by, sounding clearer than the battle cries and screams of dying agony besides.

"Merde, he's got the whole horse on top of him!"

"If it had fallen any higher, his ribs would have been crushed and he'd be dead."

"Can the two of you pull it off?" a third voice asked, this one right beside him, presumably the person holding his hand. It was a familiar voice, but Vash couldn't place it. His mind too hazy and unfocused to remember.

"Oui. Grab that leg, ami, and pull when I give the word."

"Right."

The blond turned his attention to the hand around his own, drawing his fingers across the person's palm dazedly.

"Pull!"

The palm and fingers were smooth, strikingly different from Vash's own battle-scarred hands. But he could feel old, light calluses on the very tips of the fingers, and he hummed softly to himself upon finding them. These were comforting, familiar hands, but he just couldn't seem to place them.

"One more time, ami. Pull!"

They reminded him of music, which he assumed was the reason these hands had such unnoticeable calluses from. He recalled sitting in the West castle when he was small, listening to beautiful melodies composed by gentle, still learning hands. Fingers that over time, no matter what, had always danced perfectly over black and white keys on the finest of pianos. But that thought, or maybe it was memory, only made his heart hurt. He couldn't remember why it should though. Had that person who'd played such beautiful music gone somewhere? Somewhere far away?

"It's off!"

"Good lord that thing was heavy! My arms feel like jelly!"

The third voice was right near his ear, the hand not in his grasp shaking his shoulders, "Vash? Vash!" The hand trembled around his, the opposite one finding the wounds on his arm. The blond hissed as the cuts were touched, arching up in the other's grip. "He's been poisoned!" the voice spoke again, worry laced in its tone. Vash clenched his fingers against the hand around his as he was rolled over onto his side, head in the speaker's lap, injured arm facing up.

"What are you going to do? Are we too late?"

"No, no... Hush now, I'm going to such out the poison," the comforting voice whispered. The gently callused hands tore off his sleeve, baring the swollen cuts towards him. Vash cried out as someone's lips met the first wound, a searing, stinging pain piercing his arm as the poison's path began to reverse. His other hand not in the person's grasp struggled to find a handhold in the fabric of the person's clothes. "Hold him down! Don't let him move that arm, he'll make it worse!" Vash elicited another yell as his arm was suddenly restrained, but the hand around his held him steady. So he tried to focus on that instead, pressing his face into the other's robes, gripping the smooth hand with gritted teeth.

"That's a lot of blood..."

"Oui..."

The person drew back, trailing gentle, callused fingertips over the wounds, "It tastes clean now. I think I got it all out." Vash twisted slightly in the other's cautious, cradling grip, staring up into dark-blue eyes gazing down at him through thin glasses as his vision began to clear. The blonde continued to stare blankly for a moment in disbelief before snapping his hand out of the other's, burying his face against the person's stomach, arms tangling around their waist.

"Vash?"

He couldn't decide whether he should curse out of anger and embarrassment, or cry from relief. So he settled for a little both, "You... Fucking idiot!" he sobbed, "We thought you were dead! Stupid Roderich!"

Roderich laughed, relieved that the blond was responding properly again. "I apologize. I know it must have been hard, especially for you. But we couldn't return, I'm sorry."

At the word _we_ Vash turned in Roderich's grip to catch sight of the people behind him. A woman with long brown hair was tucking a strand behind her ear, eyebrow raised. "I'm not sure whether I should be worried about the two of you, or be saving this image in my mind because it's too cute," Elizaveta said, eyeing the position Vash and her husband were in.

"A little of both maybe?" A tall man with shoulder-length fair blond hair and blue eyes commented lightly. "But I'm thinking that you and I should handle the rest of the mess here. Right, Elizaveta? After all, I'm dying to get a shot at that prick king myself, hmm?"

"Right, Francis," Elizaveta smirked.

* * *

"Why isn't my baby crying?!" Arthur asked desperately, voice rising to a scream of dread and panic.

"Yao, Liech, hold him down!" Antonio commanded, standing up and tearing his hand from Arthur's grasp to take the unmoving infant from Liech. He ignored Arthur's anguished screams, backing up a good few steps from the bed, running fingers over closed eyes and mouth. Pushing the baby's mouth open, he blew a breath through the child's nose first, then sucking in swiftly through the mouth, gagging at the blood and birthing fluid that entered his own mouth instead. Spitting the stuff out on the floor, he repeated the movement, Arthur's screams echoing in his ears. He drew back once more, retching out the mouthful of horrid stuff he'd practically inhaled from the baby's lungs.

There was a strangled cough and Antonio blinked back tears as the infant in his arms choked and gasped, letting out an ear splitting wail. "He's all right!" He exclaimed, wiping a hand across his eye to hide his tears. "It's a boy," he murmured almost to himself, and then louder, "It's a boy! He's all right!"

Arthur sobbed and sunk back into the mattress as Antonio laughed, practically bouncing over to him, screeching baby in hand. The blond blinked and reached up for the child, pulling him close as Antonio placed him in his arms. He whispered a silent thank you, relieved tears trickling out of emerald eyes as he rocked the infant in his arms. The boy had a fuzz of sandy-blond hair on his head, and Arthur bit his lip to hold back another strangled sob as he noticed the blue eyes, identical to Francis'.

"What are you going to name him?" Antonio asked, sitting on the edge of the bed again.

"Alfred," Arthur laughed, reality beginning to wash over him again, "That was the name Francis was dead set on. So since he was born first, his name is Alfred. Alfred Antonio Bonnefoy."

"Alfred Anto- What?!" Antonio stuttered.

"You saved his life," Arthur smiled, cradling the baby close.

Liech swooped in at that moment, taking the child from a reluctant Arthur. "Don't forget that there's still one more. We don't want you to crush him, now do we?" She handed the newborn to Yao, "Go clean this one up. The next one should be much easier, so I can handle it."

Antonio winced as his hand was almost immediately crushed in Arthur's grip again. "I'll never be able to hold a blade properly after this," he muttered sourly.

* * *

Roman didn't know how the fire started, since his men had tried so hard to prevent it from happening at all. They had wanted the castle intact, but he could see now that it would burn to the ground just as the North Kingdom had. He could only assume that it was a soldier from the Main Hetalia army on the king's orders, and that was what unnerved him the most. If the king had given the order to set the castle a flame, then he was no longer inside its walls. "Get out!" he ordered his men, motioning towards the doors and windows around them. Third floor or not, jumping was a better option than death by smoke inhalation. And the trees around the walls had not yet caught fire. "Quick, everyone out! The king has escaped! Find him, cut him down!"

He'd startled with surprise as one person raced past him. A girl. What was a young woman like that doing among his soldier's, wielding a blade no less? She looked to be well seasoned with it too. Her long brown hair was thrown over one shoulder and she brought her long-sword down across a Main Hetalia man's back as he tried to stop his men from escaping out the windows. Roman blinked, trying to recall where he'd seen her before. Wasn't she that Roderich boy's wife? But hadn't they both...

It was the next person who passed him that made his heart skip a beat in shock. Blond hair, blue eyes, so much like his deceased mother...

"Francis!" he cried out, reaching out to grasp his son's arm.

"Father!" Francis too looked slightly off balance upon seeing the man for the first time in seven years.

"You're alive... Where were you all this time?"

"I got a little tied up," Francis smiled apologetically. "You know, gashing wound to the stomach and all. Almost didn't make it. Roderich and Elizaveta carried me out of the castle, and it was weeks before I could even properly sit up again, let alone walk. Sorry I'm late."

"That husband of yours is going to eat you alive when you get back," Roman grinned. "Angsty little thing you captured with that one."

Francis flashed him a thumbs up, "That just makes the sex all the better!" He motioned towards one of the open windows, "You said the king escaped?"

"Had to have, otherwise he wouldn't let the castle burn to the ground." He shot a wary glance at the ceiling as the flames began to lick up the walls, tickling the edges of the wooden beams above, "Now get out, I have to make sure everyone's out. Got it?"

The blond raised a skeptical eyebrow but edged backwards towards the window all the same, "Got it... See you in a few then?"

"Of course," Roman smiled, stepping forward as the beam above them creaked ominously. His eyes flicked up to it as it cracked and groaned and he lunged for Francis, shoving him out the window.

Francis yelled in surprise, landing in the boughs of a tree a floor below, flames exploding out through the window he'd fallen from. "No!" he cried, trying to untangle himself from the branches, only to be caught by Elizaveta from a lower perch.

"Let's get out of here, Francis! The room collapsed, there's nothing we can do!" she urged, pulling him down from the tree, "If you kill the king, everything they all did will be avenged."

The blond gritted his teeth, "I know."

Germania coughed as smoke billowed out down the hallway. Strangely enough, the fire had started from an upper floor, which made him suspect that the king had escaped somehow. He'd already sent his men out, and was running through the halls, checking for any stragglers. As he passed one room, he heard a moan and a cough and he faltered where he stood. The blonde eyed the room, almost completely consumed in orange and crimson flames. But he could have sworn he'd heard something.

He darted inside despite the fire as he caught sight of a mop of dark brown hair amidst a pile of rubble. He left his sword in the doorway, stumbling over to where a heavy ceiling beam had fallen, fingers finding a grip on the other side of it. "Roman! Roman you idiot, don't you dare be dead!"

A hand reached up and grabbed his wrist, stopping him from lifting the wood off his companion. Roman looked up at the blond with clouded eyes, a weak smile on his face. "Don't lift it. Just get out of here."

"I'm not going to leave you here to burn!" Germania hissed, trying to reach the beam again, but Roman's strong grip held him back.

"That thing crushed my spine," Roman smiled, "I'll die instantly if you lift it away. So... Please... Leave before you get hurt too."

Germania slowly sunk down to his knees, blue eyes wide with shock, "No..." He twisted his hand so that it gripped the other man's. "That... That can't be..."

"Go," Roman urged desperately. "Get out of here."

The blonde's eyes darkened at this, "I can't do that, Rome."

"Wh-what? Get out you idiot! You'll die if you stay here!"

A small smile pricked at the corners of Germania's mouth. "I know." He lay down until he was on his stomach, eye level with the other High Prince. "But... It's okay if I die here. It's okay."

"Stop that. Please don't do this," Roman pleaded, gripping the other's shoulders, "You have two little kids at home, Germania!"

"Two _strong_ children," Germania murmured, pressing his face into the crook of Roman's neck, "They can get by without me."

Roman's hands shook as they curled around Germania's back, another beam crashing down nearby. "The floor's going to give out soon..." he whispered.

"Probably," Germania replied lightly, as if it didn't really matter to him.

The dark haired man pressed as close as he could without removing himself from beneath the wood holding his body together. "Hey, Germania?" He waited as the other murmured a soft, "hmm," near his ear. "That boy... Ludwig... Is that..."

"Yeah," Germania whispered.

Roman laughed, tears leaking out of his dark eyes, "That was some drunken night, wasn't it? Two years ago almost now, wasn't it?"

"Two years ago today exactly," Germania huffed. "He'd quite a terror you know. Always hiding like you did when you were young. Likes being by himself more than he likes being with others."

"What? That's like you, stupid! I was the one who always came to find you when we were little," Roman complained.

"Really, I could have sworn it was the other way around..."

"Wasn't," Roman snorted. He buried his face against the other's neck again, repressing more tears. "It's sad, really. Don't you think? He won't remember either of us. He's too little. How pitiful."

"Gilbert knows. He'll tell Ludwig when he's old enough to understand," Germania replied softly.

"Hey... Germania?" Roman murmured weakly, his eyelids begging to drop.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry... Sorry it had to be this way..." He inhaled a shallow breath, "Sorry that I never told you... That... I..."

Germania drew back a bit, "That you what?" Roman didn't answer. "Roman, stay with me! What were you going to say?! Roman!" He bit his lip as the hands against his back slackened their grip, and he squeezed his eye shut to hold back the wave of grief that washed over him. The floor shifted beneath them and he pressed his face against the shoulder of the other's unmoving body with a strangled, anguished noise. "Me too... Roman, I'm sorry. But I... Me too... Always, always, always, always..."

Francis was over a thousand yards from the castle when it collapsed. And he did not turn around to see it happen, holding a hand to his eyes, trying not to let Elizaveta see his knowing tears.

* * *

The second infant's fuzz of hair was a lighter shade of blond, much more like Francis' than Arthur's. And his eyes were slightly darker than Alfred's, almost a light lavender rather than blue. Arthur smiled to himself as he held both children, a tired, but content smile.

"Two boys, huh?" Antonio commented from where he sat on the edge of the bed. "What's the other one going to be named?"

"Matthew," Arthur murmured. "I can't decide on a middle name though. What do you think?" He laughed softly as Antonio stared blankly at him, "Does Matthew Roman Bonnefoy sound halfway decent?"

Antonio grinned, "After mine and Francis' dad? That's great! He'll be so excited when you tell him that." He held up a hand, naming out the letter of the child's name, "M, R, B. As long as it doesn't spell anything, you can give the kid any middle name you want, really."

"Spell anything?" Arthur echoed, raising a characteristic eyebrow questioningly.

"You _don't_ want to know," Antonio said immediately, waving a hand like the subject itself was a bad omen, "My dad has a sick sense of humor sometimes. Alfred is actually Francis' middle name, did you know? So what does that spell?"

"FAB?" Arthur snorted, "As is short for fabulous? Good lord, that's perfect."

"His is halfway decent," Antonio muttered. "You don't even want to know mine."

"Can I guess it?"

"No," Antonio commanded, standing up from the side of the bed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go keep a lookout for Liech and our victorious returning soldiers. And you," he turned to point an accusing finger at the blond. "You… Get some sleep. Or you'll be too tired to greet everyone. And they'll all want to see you, so, sleep!"

Arthur laughed as the other man left. "Right, right. I'll sleep in a little bit, don't worry about me." But as soon as the door closed softly behind Antonio, Arthur turned back to the infants balanced in his arms. No matter how cliché it sounded, he couldn't stop looking at them. And if he hadn't already promised Antonio he'd get some sleep, he would have stay awake all night just watching them. He could see bits and pieces of Francis in the both of them. Their eyes, Matthew's wavy light hair, Alfred's fine eyebrows. Arthur laid back against the pillows, closing his eyes and biting his lip. It would be a dark reality after the battle was over. He'd have to run a kingdom with four children to take care of, and no one at his side. Lifting his hand up towards the moonlit spilling through the window, he caught the glint of the silver band on his ring finger. His hand clenched into a fist, and he sighed in remorse that for now, the matcher to the ring was still nowhere to be found.

When Arthur awoke again, it was still dark out, but when he tilted his head towards the window, he could just make out the faintest rays of the rising sun. Pink hues on the edges of a midnight-black sky. His arms were still around the twins, the pair nestled tightly against his chest. He hadn't let them go, even in his sleep. Smiling to himself, he glanced towards the other side of the room, specifically at the door. There were no sounds of returning soldiers, so he closed his eyes again.

It was then a hand rested in his hair, briefly skimming through golden locks before falling back to the mattress. Arthur kept his eyes closed, a feeling of contentment washing over him at the touch. He remembered this hand, larger than his own, rough from the practice of battle, gentle with love.

_Ah_, he thought to himself, _this is _his_ hand. A dream…_

"Francis, why haven't you come to find me yet?" he whispered, deciding to scold the illusion, blinking open his eyes to stare into the sky-blue of the other man.

Francis was leaning on the edge of the bed, head resting in his folded arms, cheek on the mattress. He smiled, "I'm sorry, Cherie. I couldn't come to you right away, no matter how much I wanted to."

"Hmm…" Arthur hummed to himself, "I know. You would have been here long before now if you could have." Emerald eyes slid closed again, "They look like you, you know?"

"Oh? Enlighten me," Francis murmured.

"They both have your eyes," the younger man smiled. "And they're sorta chubby, just like you."

"I am offended," Francis smiled, reaching out to take Arthur's hand.

Arthur opened his eyes again, gazing at him dazedly, "Francis… When will you come back? It… It hurts, so bad… I don't know how long I can take it."

Francis kissed the other's upturned palm reassuringly, "No matter where I am in the world, Angleterre, I will always be with you."

The younger blond snorted and turned away, "That's a cheesy answer, frog."

"I know."

* * *

The next time Arthur opened his eye, the sun was just barely above the horizon. The twins were starting to sniffle, so he sat up, swinging his legs out of bed with a groan before carrying them to the kitchen. To his surprise, there was no one in there. Usually, Yao and Liech were already bustling about making the other children breakfast. But this morning, the room was absolutely deserted. He stared at the emptiness for a moment before shrugging it off and opening a cabinet, searching for the powdered milk that Liech had said she'd leave out the night before.

He mixed up two bottles, placing them in boiling water to heat them up the desirable temperature, testing it on his wrist before he sat down on the counter, Matthew on his lap and Alfred in the crook of his arm. Arthur hummed softly to himself as he fed them, mind straying back to last night. He smiled, "Hard to believe you were still inside of me twenty-four hours ago," he murmured to the infants, shifting their positions so that he had Matthew in his arm instead. "We have a long road ahead, don't we? A kingdom to run an only one daddy to do it." His smile faltered slightly, but he held it in place. "Let's go bother Antonio now. That should be interesting. And he probably has news from the Main Hetalia castle by now."

Arthur hopped off the counter, baby in each arm, and made his way out of the kitchen and down the hall. He paused outside of Ivan's room, but noticed immediately that the boy wasn't in there, so he carried on. It was starting to become slightly unnerving at how eerily silent it was in the castle. The blond stopped near the entrance to the common room, startled to hear a multitude of voices from inside. He jumped as the side of his pants was suddenly grabbed, Ivan staring up at him wordlessly with shining lavender eyes.

The blond grinned when he saw the gathered crowd, spread out across couches and tables. Liech was bustling between them, passing out bandages and water as she went. Antonio was sitting with Gilbert on his lap and Ludwig balanced on his shoulders. Both Antonio and the albino child looked rather somber, but smiled at him when he entered the room. Vash was perched on the back of a sofa, his right arm that was swollen and red from poison and heat from the fire was being wrapped by Roderich, who sat with his knees on the couch, gently binding the arm.

It was then that Arthur's heart stopped. Roderich. Didn't Roderich died in the fire of the North Fortress? This couldn't be… At that moment, Elizaveta skipped out of the crowd towards him, reaching out to ruffle his hair. He stared at her in shock, gazing at her bloodstained armor and then closing his eyes as if blinking away a mirage. "What…"

"Happy to see us?" she laughed, "Surprised? We're sorry about not getting here earlier, but we had injured party members." Elizaveta smiled, "And look, I missed the babies being born. I'm disappointed."

"So am I," another voice laughed from behind Arthur, making his eye widen in disbelief. "I mean, you couldn't have held them in or something?"

"You can't hold a baby in," Elizaveta scoffed, "It's not like holding in poop or anything. Which you shouldn't do, by the way. It's bad for you."

Arthur stood completely still, not daring to turn and face the other speaker in case he was hallucinating, and hardly daring to breathe unless he woke up from whatever dream this was, "Angleterre, you're standing like a tree, you'll hurt your back." A hand rested on his shoulder, the same hand that had messed with his hair the night before.

Tears began to trickle out of Arthur's emerald eyes, and he choked on them, letting Elizaveta take the twins from him before whirling around to face the other. He stared in shock for a moment before flinging his arms around the other man with a strangled, relieved cry. Francis laughed, hugging him close, murmuring meaningless things into his ear as he tried to sooth him. The taller o the two kneeled down on the floor, taking Arthur with him, pulling him as close as he could, "Shhh… Shhh… Cherie, I know… But I promise here and now, to never, _ever_, leave you alone again. I'm sorry I took so long."

"Idiot," Arthur sobbed, pressing his face into the folds of Francis' clothes. "I was so sure… I saw you get stabbed… I was sure you had died… Even though I… I kept telling everyone you were still alive…" He hiccupped, repressing another sob. "And last night… Alfred… Francis, I was so scared…"

Francis untangled one arm from around the other man, reaching out for Elizaveta to hand him one of the children. He pushed Arthur back a bit, cradling the baby in one arm before taking the other. "Which one is Alfred, mon cher?"

Arthur smiled, wiping a hand across his eyes, "This one, with the slightly dark hair," he took the said infant from his spouse, tucking him into the crook of his arm. "And this one is Matthew."

"Those are good names." Francis whispered. He smiled, reaching with his free hand that wasn't holding Matthew to pull Arthur to him again, kissing his forehead lightly, "Two beautiful sons. You did good, Angleterre."

Arthur smiled in return, blinking as his nightclothes were tugged on by Ivan from behind. "Actually, we have four children," he said, ruffling Ivan's hair, "Ivan, Natalia, Alfred, and Matthew."

"There's going to be no time at all for sex, is there?" Francis sighed, scooping up Ivan and plopping the boy down onto his lap. "Oh well..."

xXx

Hehehe, so Francis isn't dead, I guess you all might have known about it, do you? =o= Anyway, there's a little of a Austria/Switzerland here, which is actually one of the favourite of the original author. And of course, the scene of Rome/Germania is rather a bittersweet scene but since the predecessors of this universe is more of an OC so I guess their roles have to end here... Oh, poor thing...

Next chapter will be a little of a FACE family fluff and then we will proceed to the early childhood of our little Alfred.

Oh, and I finally got a review when I pleaded, you masochists. So here, LEAVE A REVIEW OR IVAN AND GILBERT WILL TIE YOU UP AND BEAT YOU INTO PIECES! Kolkolkolkol/Kesesesese...

To **Guest** (Well, since it's a guest review, I will have to reply to the whoever person that had reviewed this): I'm glad that you like this story. But truth to be told, this isn't truly my writing style, this story originally written by Kari Kurofai and I practically copy 99% from the original story. I will only own the story from Chapter 8 onwards, since I get her permission to complete this. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy reading and support this story. =D


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything.

**One Last Fairytale: Lullaby For A Stormy Night**

Arthur was beginning to miss the days where he had woken up in a bleary, sex satisfied state sometime in the late afternoon curled up at Francis' side. Actually, there was no beginning about it. He'd definitely taken days like that for granted. Today, his eyelids lifted open with an obvious groan as the sound of hungry crying reached his ears. He allowed himself to lay there for a moment, half wishing it would stop, but knowing he'd think something was wrong and get up anyways if it did. Sighing, he lowered his hand to where Francis was curled around his waist from behind. "Please tell me it's morning," he muttered, tangling their fingers together.

Francis mumbled something incoherent against his ear before murmuring, "Technically, yes. Yes, it is morning." He drummed his fingers against Arthur's stomach teasingly. "Half past four, to be exact. We got to sleep in today," he smiled as Arthur laughed softly at the motion.

"It only counts as sleeping in if we weren't up until midnight," Arthur drawled, sitting up as Francis wrapped both arms around his waist to hold him down. "Come on, up with you," he scolded, "It's only matter of time until Natalia starts crying too." He rolled his eyes as Francis only hugged his waist harder with a stubborn grunt. "Francis, come on. You're a King now. Act... Kingly, or something." "A King, huh," Francis groaned into the other's side, "Kings shouldn't have to do stuff like this, that's what servants are for."

"Francis..." Arthur groaned in annoyance.

"And kings should get sex everyday! No, twice a day!" he proclaimed. "We haven't done it at _all_ since the twins were born. So basically, not since we lived in the north. And don't forget the pregnancy time as well! That's eighteen months, Arthur! Eighteen freaking months!"

Arthur smacked him over the head, causing him to loosen his grip long enough for the younger man to get away, "Out of bed, Francis. Now."

Francis sat up and rubbed at the back of his head with a frown, "Eighteen months..." He mumbled again.

"We'll talk about it later," Arthur chided, pulling him up by the arm, "Now come on."

They shuffled dazedly down the hall to the twins' room, instantly lapsing into _worried daddy_ mode. Arthur rocked on his toes near the crib as they each scooped up a child, Matthew cradled gently in his arm. "Why are they _always_ crying?" he said to himself, humming under his breath to the fussing child as they made their way to the kitchen. He raised a characteristic eyebrow at Francis, who was holding Alfred above his head and making whooshing noises, the infant giggling hysterically now rather than crying. Francis noticed Arthur's gaze on him and skipped over, taking Matthew from him too and tucking one child under each arm before racing down the hall, the twins squealing in excitement.

The king wasn't surprised to find Yao wandering around in the kitchen, Kiku hanging onto the ends of his robes and toddling along behind him. "Ah, you're lifesaver Yao," he said thankfully as the boy handed him two freshly whipped up bottles of milk.

"Well, they'll be growing out of it soon enough anyways," Yao said, turning back to the pan he'd been frying eggs in. "They're already starting to eat mashed fruits and vegetables too, like Natalia. Though she seems to like pancakes now too."

Arthur jumped up, handing the bottles to a flustered look Francis, who was still holding both twins. "Oh crap, I forgot to get Natalia," he exclaimed, before rushing out of the kitchen.

Natalia's room was between Ivan's and the twins'. When Arthur opened the door, he wasn't surprised to find Natalia standing up in her crib, waiting patiently for him. He smiled at how she'd gotten used to his forgetfulness, but hadn't yet attempted to climb out of her crib. Arthur lifted her up and into his arms, "Ah, there's my good girl," he murmured. "And what would you like for breakfast this morning?" He laughed as she merely stared at him. "How about... some pears?" She shook her head, fiddling with the neck of his pajamas. "Applesauce?" Another shake. "Hmm... Eggs maybe?" he asked with a knowing smile.

She turned blue eyes to him with a look that clearly showed that she knew what he was trying to do, "Pancakes," she said quietly.

He laughed again, "Well, I don't know what you want if you don't tell me," he smiled. Arthur hummed to himself as he carried her to the kitchen, "And you know, Ivan's going to get sick of those pretty soon. Hopefully your taste for them will fade before he flips."

A few minutes later found them sitting around the small wooden table in the kitchen, the dining room being saved for guests and special occasions. Arthur and Matthew balanced on his lap with a bottle in one hand, and a knife in the other as he helped Natalia cut up her pancakes into bite-sized pieces from where she sat in a highchair to his right. Francis was at his left, watching with amazement as Alfred downed a second bottle. Yao and Kiku were on the older blonde's other side, Kiku picking sleepily at a pancake of his own. Ivan slid in amidst the commotion a moment later, shoving a chair in between Arthur and Francis and climbing into it before giving the pancakes a tired scowl and tossing some onto his plate.

"Good morning Ivan," Arthur said cheerfully, earning a glare from the boy. Ivan was even less of a morning person than Francis and Arthur combined. The king smiled at the child before turning back to where Matthew seemed to have gotten bored with his bottle. "I don't know what's with Mattie and his milk lately," he said with a frown, trying to get the baby to drink it again. But Matthew merely turned his head to the side with a whine.

"I know," Francis said from Ivan's other side, "Alfred drinks like three of these a meal, and Matthew hardly gets through one if we're lucky. Maybe we should take him to Liech to get checked over."

At that moment, Natalia leaned out of her highchair, fork in hand, and popped a syrup covered piece of pancake into Matthew's mouth. Arthur blinked and tried to pry it out of his mouth, worried he'd choke, but the boy had already swallowed it. Matthew stared at Natalia for a minute before she stabbed another piece with her fork and held it out to him, to which he opened his mouth obediently. Arthur raised an eyebrow and glanced at Francis, "I get the weirdest feeling they just had some sort of epic conversation in their minds."

Ivan sunk lower in his chair as Matthew giggled at every piece of pancake given to him, "And I have the feeling that I will be eating these stupid things for the rest of my life..."

Francis laughed and took a piece of pancake from Kiku's plate, holding it out to Alfred, "I wonder if he likes them too." Alfred put the piece of pancake in his mouth and promptly spit it out with much exaggeration and raspberries with his tongue. "Apparently not," he smiled, glancing sympathetically at Ivan, "Well, you can Alfred can have eggs then when he stops being a milkaholic."

"And I will eat pancakes until that day," Ivan muttered sourly, pushing his plate away from him with a disgusted groan.

"I can make you eggs now, if you'd like," Yao said from the other side of the table.

Ivan jumped up, running over to him and throwing his arms around the older boy's waist, "Yes! _Please_ make me some eggs before I die of a sugar overdose!"

Yao smiled, making his way over to the cupboards to find a clean pan, "Sunny-side-up or scrambled?"

"Scrambled," Ivan exclaimed, still latched onto Yao in his relief, "Love you Yao!"

The older blushed and rummaged around for some eggs, not replying to the comment. Arthur laughed from where he sat, "Yes, you're a lifesaver as usual Yao, I don't know what we'd do without you."

"Cook your own meals?" Yao suggested with a smirk.

Merde no!" Francis gasped, "That would be terrible!" He kept up his horrified look even as Yao stared at him in confusion, "Have you ever seen Arthur cook?"

"No..."

"Be glad you haven't then." Francis said in a strange whisper, "It's quite awful to set one of the kitchens on fire in the North fortress." Arthur pretended not to hear, "Hmm... Now that I think about it, I haven't cooked in awhile. Maybe I should make us dinner tonight."

"No!" Francis shrieked, making Alfred giggle in his lap and Kiku jump so bad he nearly fell out of his chair.

An hour later they were all seated in the living room. Francis was on his stomach on the carpet, watching three of the youngest children on the multi-coloured blanket he'd placed in the center of the room. Matthew was half asleep with his large stuffed polar bear in his arms, chewing absently on one of its ears. Kiku was building a complicated tower of blocks that Alfred crawled over to every time it was finished and knocked to the floor with a giggle. Francis had tried to stop him after the first time, but Kiku had shaken his head that it was fine. In fact, he smiled every time his creation was smashed as the nine-month-old barreled into it. Yao was wandering around the room and dusting fine vases and shelves of books that didn't look dusty at all. Natalia was sleeping soundly in the crook of Arthur's arm and Ivan dozing off in his lap. Arthur himself had his eyes half open, as if fighting off inevitable drowsiness as well.

It was then that Francis told the story for the first time. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess of the Kingdom of Hetalia. On her eighteenth birthday, she was set to marry one of the many princes of her nation. But she disliked them all, and snuck out of the castle one afternoon for some fresh air," he began, watching Arthur out of the corner of his eyes. "That's when she met the handsome prince of the Southeast Kingdom. He was bold, and dashing, and brave and oh so very beautiful that she fell in love at the first sight."

A small smile quirked at the corners of Arthur's mouth, "No, she didn't thought he was a bloody prick at first." Francis pretended to look aghast, "But she did eventually," he protested.

"Eventually," Arthur conceded.

The older man cleared his throat, "So, the prince and the princess met, and had many adventures together on the castle grounds. They swam in the lake with the sea serpent in it, and they rode the princess' prized unicorn. And one night, they even saw a fairy ring by the far north wall. And they kissed for the first time while the fairies danced and played around them."

Arthur laughed and winked at him, "So not only am I changed to a girl, our huge first moment was turned into simply _a kiss_."

"Not in front of the children," Francis teased. He smile broadly and continued with his tale, "And the angleterre and the prince fell in love. But unfortunately, the next morning, the king and queen announced the name of the prince they'd chosen for the princess to marry, and it was not the prince she loved. Furious, she asked as to why, to which they replied that because she prince she loved was the second son of the Southeastern Kingdom's High Prince, and the child of a mistress, rather than the Queen, that he was unworthy of her hand. She tried to get away, but her parents locked her in her room, and set the castle guards to kill the prince should he attempt to see her."

The smile fell slightly, Arthur's eyes glazing over, lost in heartbreaking memories. So he picked up the story where Francis remained silent. "But one night, just when the princess thought she would never see her prince again, there was a commotion in the stables. The prince came riding out on her unicorn, cutting down any guards that got in between them. And the princess climbed out the window to meet him, and they rode off, jumping over the drawbridge just before it closed. They got away, and they were never caught, riding away to a place where they could live without the rules of the Nobility. And they lived happily ever after."

Francis smiled softly, "Hmm, that's a nice ending, mon cheri. A little falsified though."

"It's better that way," Arthur whispered.

"Was there no _Happily Ever After_ in the real world then, cheri?" Francis asked worriedly.

Arthur smiled slightly, "No, there was. It just took a lot of sadness to get there, and true fairytales aren't like that. But the _princess_ is very happy," he smirked.

"Well, the prince is a little disgruntled," Francis replied with a frown. "Eighteen months…" He mumbled.

* * *

Francis lay on his stomach on the bed, a book in his hands. It was a record of what had come to be called _The Fall of the North_ and _The Battle of the Nobility. _Written by Vash, and sent to him by Antonio. It was strange to see his own name in what would one day be long gone history that children would study, but he didn't mind. His eyes strayed to the wall where his sword hung on finely made metal hooks above the window. Blood still lay on it, dried to a rusty brown with the time that had passed. But Arthur had insisted that it remain there, a declaration of everything they had worked for, his father's blood still glistening on Francis' sword.

It had shocked him how Arthur had wanted every detail of how his father had died by the blade. But then again, when he thought of all the pain that Arthur had gone through because of the man, he couldn't blame him. He knew Arthur had wished the act to be carried out by his own hands, but Francis had fulfilled it Hopefully, it was better that way. It made his heart sink to think of his husband killing anybody in such cold blood as he had, let alone his own, corrupted father.

He glanced up from the pages of the book as the door to the bathroom in their room creaked open and he smiled a bit. "You really love those baths, don't you, cheri?" He remarked smoothly.

Arthur snorted as he closed the door behind him, tightening his bathrobe around his body. "Of course, frog. I couldn't have them for nine months, so it made me feel rather dirty. I'm just catching up."

"And wasting water," Francis grinned. He patted the bed beside him with a lazy motion, setting the book aside. "Come now, let's get some sleep before Alfred decides that he's hungry _again_."

The younger man laughed softly, "I told Yao to look after them for tonight so we could get some decent sleep for once." Francis' eyebrows raised and Arthur merely smiled, "What's that look for?"

"Does 'decent sleep' actually mean sleep?" Francis asked slowly.

"Depends," Arthur smirked, loosening his robe a bit, "What do you want it to mean?"

Francis' eyes widened as the robe started to slip down Arthur's shoulders, revealing a bare chest. Instead of saying anything, he motioned for the other to come to the bed again with a hand on the mattress, to which Arthur complied. The older man's arms wrapped around the other's waist as Arthur crawled across the bed over to him, pulling the bathrobe down still further. He sat up a bit as Arthur straddled his lap, leaning down to kiss him lightly, "Mon cheri..."

Arthur's arms looped around his neck as he kissed him harder, "Tell me you love me," he mumbled against the other's lips.

"Je t'aime."

He smiled, pressing closer and pulling back slightly so that their foreheads touched and he could look directly into Francis' eyes. "Don't you _ever_ leave me again," he whispered almost inaudibly. Even saying it hurt his heart, and he closed his eyes to hide the tears that had started to form at the thought.

The older raised a hand from the other's waist to graze them over Arthurs cheeks, brushing away the tears that had started to fall. "Never," he promised softly. He slipped his other hand into the bathrobe, grazing smooth fingers over soft skin. A light kiss was placed on the other's flickering eyelids, the hand that had brushed away stray tears tangling in Arthur's hair. "Mon cheri, I _never_ mean to leave you." He skimmed his hand along Arthur's bare back, watching him shiver slightly at his touch, "Je t'aime, mon Arthur," he murmured.

Arthur shifted his weight on Francis' lap a bit, sucking in a shaky breath as the other's hand hesitated on the small of his back. He leaned forward, kissing him briefly with another shudder. God, he'd forgotten what this felt like, it had been far too long. "Make love to me," he murmured against Francis' ear.

Francis smiled and rolled them over, pressing Arthur down into the mattress and settling between his legs as he slid the robe off all the way, letting it fall to the floor. He placed his hands on either side of Arthur's shoulders, bending down to kiss him slowly, wanting to savor the taste. His tongue teased the other's bottom lip, waiting patiently until Arthur allowed him access with the parting of his lips and the tilt of his head. He groaned as he licked along the inside of the other's mouth, lowering himself so that their bodies melded together, one hand fisting into the sheets of the bed. Arthur murmured something incoherent against his mouth, pulling at his pajama pants impatiently. He laughed, "Mmm, wait a bit, cheri," he mumbled hoarsely, trailing small kisses down the other's neck, "Don't waste the moment."

The shorted man sighed as arched up slightly against the other as Francis kissed teasingly against his collarbone. "Frog," he muttered with a frown, trying to ignore the ache between his legs. Clouds rolled outside the castle and far off thunder echoed in his ears for a moment before he ignored it.

The older blond laughed, "The kiss me," he smirked, pecking the other swiftly on the lips before continuing his path down Arthur's chest, "And turn me into a prince." He pressed his chest against Arthur's grinding down against him.

Arthur moaned as Francis moved over him, back arching again, "Fuck," he whispered, tangling his fingers into the other blonde's hair and bringing his face around for a kiss to distract himself. Francis murmured unintelligible nothings against his lips, sliding a hand down Arthur's back and rear to press gently at his entrance. The younger gasped as the finger slipped inside, and Francis pulled back a bit to press a hand against his chest, holding him down. "It's been awhile, cheri. Relax," he urged, waiting until Arthur regained a steady rate of breathing before inserting a second digit. Arthur squirmed underneath him, half out of impatience, half from discomfort, but Francis kept him on his back as he methodically stretched him.

Francis removed both hands, grabbing Arthur's legs and levering them up onto his shoulders. He let go with one hand and reached for Arthur's tangling their fingers together, "Deep breath," he ordered, positioning himself.

The High King sucked in a breath as Francis pushed inside with a audible grunt. He gripped the other's hand tightly, biting his lip and breathing out as Francis stilled to wait for him to adjust. His heart hammered in his chest and he leaned up to kiss the other again, watching the worried look in the blue eyes with a smile, "I'm alright," he reassured, laying back down.

The older man nodded, capturing Arthur's lips again for another brief kiss that ended in a moan, "S'tight," he whispered, breathing heavily.

Arthur let go of Francis' hand, reaching up to place his palms against the other's broad chest with a groan, pushing the older man onto his back so that their positions were slightly reversed. His hands found Francis' knees, using them to lever himself up a bit as Francis stared up at him with glazed blue eyes. He pushed himself up with the other's knees as a support, falling back down with a strangled moan. "Oh... Fuck," he whispered, breath turning shallow as he repeated the movement. Francis' hands rose to grasp his waist, guiding his movements with a gentle touch. Arthur's eyes rolled back into his head with a cry as Francis moved him back down to hit that special spot, his hands gripping the other's knees tighter than before. Lightning flashed outside somewhere in the distance as tiny drops of rain hit the windowpane.

Francis bit his lip and rolled them over again, hand gripping the other's waist tightly as he let go of the restrain he'd been holding onto. Arthur's fingers went to his shoulders, digging into the skin painfully as he pounded into him, but Francis ignored it. Arthur's back arched and his head hit the pillow with another cry as Francis ground against that place inside of him. The younger man's mind whitewashed and he gasped as he came hard against Francis' stomach. Francis kissed him as he rode out his lover's orgasm, following soon with an audible moan. He leaned down over Arthur as he poured hot seed into him, hips still faintly thrusting as he finished. "Je t'aime," he whispered softly, tangling his arms underneath Arthur's but not pulling out just yet.

They jumped simultaneously as the door suddenly creaked open. Francis rolled off the other and grabbed Arthur's bathrobe from the floor to wipe away the mess that lay between them. He pulled on his pajama pants and tossed his spouse the shirt to the set just as Ivan stumbled sleepily into the room, half bent over from Alfred hanging onto his back like a monkey and Matthew in his arms. Arthur still lay in a daze on his back as he pulled the shirt over his head, so Francis asked instead, "What's wrong Ivan?"

Ivan rolled his eyes as lightning flashed outside again and thunder cracked somewhere close by. The twins whimpered in Ivan's arms and the older boy frowned. "They have been crying, didn't you hear them?"

"Um... No," Francis said honestly.

"What were you doing?" Ivan asked with a raised eyebrow.

Arthur rolled over onto his stomach and pushed himself up onto his elbows with a muttered curse, reaching out to take Matthew from Ivan and then Alfred, "Nothing. What happened to Yao?"

"He's asleep," Ivan said nonchalantly.

The blond sighed, "Should have known it. I need to stop overworking that poor boy I think," he mumbled to himself. "And where's your sister?"

At that moment, another roll of thunder boomed and the door flew open again as Natalia flew in, scrambling up the side of the bed until she had buried her face against Arthur's chest. He laughed softly, allowing Francis to take the twins from him so that he had room to hold her, "Now, now, what's a brave little girl like you doing out of bed?"

She shook her head but didn't answer, Ivan climbing onto the bed behind her to settle between his two adopted parents. "She's not going to answer that," he informed with a smile. She glared at him before deciding that his chest was a lot more comfortable and latching onto him instead, to which Ivan rolled his eyes. Arthur laughed again and lay back down, helping Francis to settle the four children between them comfortably. He hummed to himself as the twins continued to cry softly, "Francis?" "Yes, cheri?"

"What was that song that you sang before, the one about the storm?" He asked quietly. He hadn't heard it since the day the North Kingdom had fallen.

Francis smiled, "Little child," he began, "be not afraid, the rain pounds harsh against the glass like an unwanted stranger. There is no danger, I am here tonight. Little child, be not afraid. The thunder explodes and lightning flash illuminates a tear stained face. I am here tonight..."

xXx

I am supposed to have this thing done on Christmas but I don't have much of the will to type since I don't have any reviews for the previous chapter, looks like you all have the nerve to make Ivan and Gilbert angry, do you? Kolkolkol/Kesesese...

Sorry... I didn't mean it to be this bad but it really sucks me when I do not received any presents for Christmas and certain university don't want to accept my enrolment, such a pain in the ass... D:

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as always. The next chapter will be a time skip where the twins will be around 6 years of age before the spotlight focused on Ivan. I will try to have this new chapter posted up before the new year so that I can get my part uploaded next year. Favourite, follows and reviews are gladly appreciated, merci. :]

Last of all, even if you did not celebrate Christmas or did not received any present but cheer up because there will always be a good time and moment for everyone of us. So, I wish everyone here belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! =3


	7. Chapter 7

**One Last Fairytale: Dream a Little Dream of Me**

_Gilbert knew he was dreaming because his hands were larger than he remembered them to be. His fingers were calloused, the sort of rough marks that came from years of wielding a sword. He felt taller too, though there was no time to test that theory._

_It was snowing, and he was riding a horse through the light downfall of white. He kicked the animal into a canter as he caught sight of another rider not too far ahead, and realized that he had been following the hoof prints in the snow below. His heart stopped when he drew up beside the other, unease coursing through him._

_If he had thought he seemed taller, Ivan towered over him, even on horseback. His lavender eyes were fixed on the ground as he made his steed circle round and round, searching for something. "They've covered their tracks," Ivan hissed between his teeth, looking so furious that Gilbert's breath caught in his throat._

_His own words came unbidden, almost as if it wasn't himself speaking them, "Fuck, Ivan... Just let them go. There's nothing you can do. And even if you do catch up to them, what would you do? Would you really deny Alfred happiness? That's not the Ivan I know..."_

_"Who says I'm the Ivan you know then?!" Gilbert forced his horse to back up, shocked at the gaze of utter anguish and rage. "I stopped being the Ivan that you know years ago, Gilbert! I don't believe in happiness anymore because everything that I do only ends in pain!" He growled and looked away, angry tears stinging the corners of his eyes, "I just don't want to watch Alfred go through the same. He's all I have left." A flash of irritation went through Gilbert at this, "Who says he will?! You're not even giving him a chance, Ivan! And what's that utter bull-shit about him being all you've got?! Arthur and Francis fucking raised you when they could have left you to fend for yourself. God damn it, Ivan, I don't think there's a parent in the world that loves his children more than Arthur loves you and Alfred. And what about me? I promised that I would always be here for you, and you've just thrown that aside like it meant nothing to you! Am I nothing to you too, Ivan?!"_

_"I never asked you to promise that!" Ivan shrieked, pushing his horse to trot closer so that they were suddenly side-by-side. "Promises are useless when everyone is eventually going to die and leave me behind!"_

_"I'd fucking sell my body and soul before I went around dying without you!" Gilbert snapped. He kicked his heels into his horse's side and backed up again, not wanting to be on the receiving end of anything should Ivan choose to lash out. It was then that his eyes caught it. The glint of steel in the snow filled moonlight. He couldn't make a sound, there was no time for a warning. The sword the perpetrator was holding was suddenly sticking out of Ivan's chest, the handle against his back._

_Ivan's eyes widened in shock, but no words came out when he opened his mouth. Nothing except blood as he coughed, gasping for air, a panicked look in his lavender gaze. Gilbert screamed, drawing his sword from his belt to lop off the head of the stranger who had stabbed Ivan right though. But it was too late, and Ivan slumped forward off his horse and down into the snow without a sound, already dead._

He screamed, and screamed, and screamed, realizing as he returned to the waking world that his screams were entirely real there too. And he couldn't stop. He could still feel the sword in his hands, and the blood on his clothes. He could still see Ivan, falling, falling, falling. Dead. His screams cut off as his bedroom door was burst open, revealing Roderich and Elizaveta in the candlelight of the hallway. Roderich hung back, looking concerned, while Elizaveta rushed forward, wrapping Gilbert in her arms and making soothing shushing noises as she held him against her chest.

A few moments passed before Gilbert let his body slump against her, relief and reality slowly washing over him. He gasped and choked back the pure anguish that the dream had coursed through him, tangling his fingers into the folds of her nightgown with a strangled sob. Elizaveta ran a comforting hand through his silver hair, tilting her head down so that she was at the same level with him, "Nightmare?" she asked quietly. "What was it about?"

"A death I could not change," Gilbert replied, words muffled against her clothes. He tightened his grip and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to take comfort in her condolences and warmth. Since his father had died in the siege on the Nobility seven years ago, Roderich and Elizaveta had taken over his position as regents of the West Kingdom until Gilbert came of age. That meant that for now, they were as much as his parents as Arthur and Francis were to Ivan. He swallowed, trying not to recall the dream at the thought of the name, to little avail. "It was... too real..." he whispered, biting his lip to keep from crying out again as the bloody scene ran through his mind again.

Roderich drew up beside the bed, candle held in his left hand. "Have you ever had a dream like that before, Gilbert?"

"No..."

The man's eyes narrowed, and Elizaveta looked up at him with a worried look, taking note of his contemplating gaze on their foster son. "It's not uncommon for those of higher blood in the three great kingdoms and the nobility to have true dreams, Gilbert," he said after a pause.

"True dreams?" Gilbert echoed, lifting his head from the crook of Elizaveta's arm with widened eyes.

"Dreams that will one day come true," Roderich explained. "It is well known that Roman had them, as well as your father. Katyusha too, if I am not mistaken. It's most common in the High Princes and Princesses. I wouldn't be surprise..."

"Then that dream will come true?" Gilbert interrupted, his voice and body shaking slightly at the thought.

"If you had not dreamed it, it would be inevitable," Roderich said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "But now that you know what's going to happen, you have a chance to change it, correct?"

Gilbert chewed on his lip, letting his head rest on Elizaveta's shoulder again. It was impossible. How could he stop an assassin he'd never seen before, on a dark, snowy night too far on the future for him to know. He sucked in an uneasy breath, resolving to do whatever he could to change the outcome of the dream, no matter what he had to do...

* * *

_Natalia kept one small hand over Kiku's mouth, restraining him from crying out. The other she used to cover the sounds of her own shallow breathing, wondering fearfully if the intruders could hear the heartbeat that thundered in their chest. Their footsteps echoed outside of their hiding place, the sound of papers and tapestries being torn down off the walls and flung out of the drawers. She dared not to lean close to the small silver of light between the doors of the cupboard they crouched in, even as an eerie silence settled over the room. Kiku's hands fisted into the folds of her dress, his eyes shifting between the doors and her, his shoulders shaking slightly in the darkness._

_There was little time to scream as the doors were suddenly ripped open, large hands shoved inside and grabbing Natalia by the front of her dress. She bit down on the offending hand as she heard Kiku wail in fear behind her, twisting in the man's grip to catch sight of him being torn from the cupboard and slammed up against the wall. The man holding her yelled as she dug her teeth into his hand, drawing blood, and she was flung against the wall._

_Her breath escaped her in a rush, and she faintly heard Kiku scream again, though it sounded far off and distorted. The man's hand was at her throat, and she struggled to open her eyes, hearing words like _North, heir_ and _traitor_. Kiku's scream stopped abruptly, unnaturally and she flailed in the man's grip, twisting and trying to see what had become of her companion. But all she could see was a dark stain of crimson on the wall._

She didn't realize she'd been screaming until strong hands shook her awake. "Natalia! Natalia!"

Arthur leaned over her, a brief look of relief crossing his features as she blinked open her lavender eyes. "Shhh..." he soothed, sitting down on the bed beside her and running through her long ash-blond hair. "What was the nightmare, Natalia?"

Natalia chewed on her lower lip, raising a hand to rub the tears away from her eyes as she shook her head. Even if Arthur was her father, she didn't want to discuss the contents of her dream with him. He smiled understandingly, lifting her up out of the bed to tuck her securely against his chest. "Let's go to the twin's room, hmm?" he murmured near her ear, allowing her hands to tangle into his nightshirt.

He carried her down the hall, tiptoeing past Ivan's room so as not to wake his oldest child who was a very light sleeper. Arthur couldn't help but feel unnerved at the frequency of his adopted daughter's nightmares of late, knowing that prophetic dreams ran in her bloodline. But he didn't question her on it, nor would he force her to tell him what she had seen. He just hoped he'd be able to help should the dreams ever cross into reality.

Silently, he cracked the door to the twin's room open, only faintly surprise to see that there was already an intruder in their bed. Kiku was buried under the blankets against Alfred's back, small hands entangled in the elder twin's nightclothes. He wouldn't question the servant child what he had dreamed about either, he knew well enough. Yao told him of his sibling's nightmares. Of the waking sobs and shakes, revelations of fire and snow, and a castle crumbling to the ground. Of a heart wrenching scream in the cold air of dawn. Arthur knew the memories well, and he wished that the younger child was not haunted by them too. Too young at the time of their happening to recall them with clarity, too old to forget entirely.

He sat down on the bed, releasing Natalia from his arms and allowing her to crawl across the blankets to nestle in between Alfred and Matthew, noticing the way her shoulders slumped and relaxed as she curled up between them. Arthur couldn't help but smile, "Will you be alright now?" he asked softly, running a hand through her hair comfortingly again. She nodded and he stood up, leaving the door open a crack behind him as he left.

The first thing Alfred saw when he awoke every morning was Matthew. The younger twin's eyelid always flickered in that way people's did while they were in the midst of dreams. One hand rested between his cheek and pillow, damp with drool. The other was wrapped tightly around a large white stuffed bear.

Alfred always faced his twin when he slept, even though he tended to sleep on his stomach. Today, he found his left hand tight in the grasp of his sister Natalia, who he was only faintly surprise to see tucked between the two of them, and his right was wrapped around another small hand, his own doing this time. He blinked and turned his head to the other side, smiling slightly. Both intruders to his bed had become such a common occurrence that he didn't even wake up anymore. He laughed softly as Kiku's light, sleepy puffs of breath shifted sandy-blond hair from his eyes. Although the other child's brother Yao was training him to be a servant to the castle, Kiku spent more time with the twins than doing any actual work. Just as he spent more nights in their bed, plagued by nightmares as Natalia was.

And he knew well enough about what they dreamed of. While Kiku's were of a past they were not allowed to discuss around Ivan or his fathers, Natalia's were of a time that had not yet come to pass. And that was what worried him the most. Slowly, he wiggled both hands out of their grasps so he could roll over onto his back and sit up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a wide yawn. It was a Saturday, so he wouldn't have to sit through boring history and maths lessons today, and that thought cheered him immensely. Matthew stirred on Natalia's other side, awakened by his twin's movement.

"We need a bigger bed," Matthew mumbled sleepily, burying his face in the pillow again with a groan.

Alfred laughed, "Oh, like you care. And besides, where else would you have them go? Dad's room?"

"God no," Matthew shuddered into the pillow. "I'm scared for life because of that. And I don't even know what they were doing exactly."

"And yet Ivan goes to their room all the time. Nerves of steel," Alfred whistled.

"Or brain of mush," Matthew added, sitting up with his chin resting on the stuffed bear's head. He watched with glazed eyes as his brother shifted in the blankets, standing up on the mattress with his arms raised and facing Kiku. "Umm... What are you doing?" he asked quizzically.

"Waking them up," Alfred grinned, taking a step closer to Kiku, who was still sleeping soundly despite Alfred's loud voice. Matthew merely rolled his eyes, glad that he always woke up right after his twin so that he was not given the same treatment. Alfred abruptly laughed, leaping into the air with a cry of "belly flop!" and falling straight down right on top of Kiku.

And he wasn't much surprised to see the older child open his eyes with a breathless gasp of surprise, winded from Alfred's weight on top of him. "M-Master Alfred!" he stammered, struggling to push the larger boy off him.

Alfred simply laughed, turning to settle between the other's legs and resting his chin on Kiku's chest with a snort. "It's freaking weird when you call me _master_, Kiku. Cut it out."

"But..."

His words were cut short as Alfred leaned over him, their noses brushing, "No more master, kay?" Kiku's only reply was a blush and a small squeak before he finally shoved Alfred off him, scrambling back a few feet until his shoulders hit the headboard of the bed. Alfred grinned again and stood up once more, facing Natalia this, though his movements were lighter and much sneakier as he inched towards her.

The exclamation of _belly flop_ was left out as he jumped in the air with every intention of giving her the same awakening as Kiku. What he received however, was Natalia rolling over onto her back, hands and feet in the air as she threw him to the side, causing him to go sailing over the edge of the bed and fall with a huff of surprise to the floor below.

Matthew laughed, leaning over the side of the bed to stare down at his sibling, "You never learn, do you?" he smiled.

Alfred lay flat on his back on the carpet, chest heaving, "One of these days..." He muttered, "One of these days I'm gonna get her. I swear..."

"Well, good luck on that," Matthew smirked, "cause even Ivan can't pull it off."

Natalia sat up, running her fingers through her hair and untangling a knot with a bored look on her face, "Not gonna happen," she said after a moment, "you and brother are much too loud."

"I was being totally quiet!" Alfred exclaimed, "What about me was noisy at all?"

She turned to look at him with a contemplating gaze, "... Your breathing," she said finally.

He raised an eyebrow in confusion, covering his nose and mouth with his hands as if he could somehow hear his breathing that way. A frown crossed his face as he raised his eyes up to her again, "Nuh-uh..."

Matthew ignored their banter, stretching his arms up over his head with an audible yawn, "What's for breakfast?" he asked after a moment.

"Pancakes for you obviously," Alfred said as he crawled back up onto the bed, "Eggs and bacon for Ivan, waffles for me and Kiku, and whatever is halfway to Ivan's mouth for Natalia."

Another wide yawn, "I don't understand why you like waffles better," Matthew commented, "they're the exact same as pancakes."

"As if," Alfred snorted, as if his twin knew nothing about the subject. "Waffles have little syrup holding squares all over them so that you get the maximum amount of sugar in every bite. Except that Kiku just eats his naked, which is weird," he turned to stare at the dark haired child accusingly, but Kiku just fiddled with his nightshirt absentmindedly, pretending to be oblivious to the look.

Arthur was only mildly surprise when the four of them paraded into the kitchen, demanding their various breakfast orders and fighting over who got to sit where around the table. Natalia triumphing in the match as she shoved Alfred off her favourite chair. Arthur laughed under his breath, trying in vain to untangle a dazed and still half asleep Francis from around his waist from where he stood with Yao over the gas stove. Rolling his eyes, he motioned to the dark haired teen beside him, "Go wake up Ivan, why don't you." And then to Francis, "Hey you, if you don't cut it out right now I'm gonna have to make the breakfast."

Upon hearing the last few words, Francis immediately snapped from his dream and untangled himself from his spouse, snatching the pan and spatula away from Arthur with a panicked look, "Anything but that cheri!"

The younger man frowned, "Strange how that is one of the two things you're afraid of. My cooking is perfectly fine, thank you."

"Fine as a method of torture on our enemies," Francis grumbled, placing the waffle pan over one of the burners and pouring the batter Yao had whipped up into it.

"Bloody frog," Arthur muttered sourly.

The other only smiled, "Oh, but you love this frog, cheri. What would you ever do without me?"

"Live a peaceful life?" Arthur smirked.

"So mean," Francis pouted, flipping the waffles over and taking out another pan for the pancakes.

"How else would I keep you in line?" Arthur teased in reply, reaching over to squeeze Francis' hand. "And besides, you know very well what would happen to me if you weren't here."

A sad smile flirted across Francis' features, and he leaned in to give his husband a brief kiss, laughing at the exclamations of "Ew!" from the children behind them, "Oui, mon cheri. And it won't happen again." He turned back to his cooking with a whirl, flipping the waffles onto two separate plates and rushing them over to Alfred and Kiku before beginning work on the pancakes. "Do you want pancakes too, Natalia?" he called over his shoulder.

"Sure," she relented, glancing at the empty seat that should have been occupied by her brother, though she dared not follow Yao in to wake him. Ivan was the worst out of their whole strange little family at the mornings. And that was saying something compared to the mixture of Arthur and Francis.

* * *

Yao himself had trouble with the task even, and for the third time in the past few minutes since he'd vacated the kitchen, he shook Ivan's shoulder. "Come on, aru. If you don't get up you can't have breakfast." He sighed as Ivan merely grumbled something incoherent into the pillow, shoulders hunching as he moved away from the offending person trying to rouse him. Yao bit his lip, leaning over him again. "Ivan, aru! Get up this instant!"

Ivan cracked open an eye, staring at him a moment before rolling over onto his back and reaching up a hand. Yao gasped in surprise as he was suddenly tugged down on top of the younger teen, their lips crashing together as Ivan's fingers tangled into his long ponytail. He pressed his hands to Ivan's chest, pushing himself away, "Ivan, aru!"

The younger stared up at him with a frown, "You're no fun, Yao," he said after a moment's contemplation, turning over again so that his back was to the other.

Yao sucked in a frustrated breath through his nose, resting a hand on Ivan's shoulder, "And you're stubborn, aru," he whispered. "I really wish you'd stop messing around."

"S'not messing around," Ivan grumbled, "I really meant it."

"You didn't, aru," Yao said softly, "You just think you did. You're still young, Ivan. And your judgment is skewed." He smiled as Ivan growled in annoyance under his breath, "You have much greater things ahead of you, aru. Do not trouble yourself with me."

Ivan rolled over onto his back again, a dark glint in his eyes, "You say that as if you are some sort of burden to me."

"Which I will be if you continue to pursue this ridiculousness," Yao snorted. He rolled his eyes as Ivan sat up, pulling him into another forced kiss, "Might as well give up, aru," he mumbled, "I'm not going to kiss you back."

Another frustrated noise escaped Ivan as he drew back, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and making his way towards the door, "Fine, be that way." He startled as Yao grabbed his arm, pulling him up short, "Wh-"

"No, I'm still not going to kiss you," Yao frowned, "But I would like it if you'd listen to me, just for a little bit." He pushed Ivan back onto the bed, wandering slowly over to the bookshelf. He long, smooth fingers skimmed over the book's spines, up and down and across the shelves. "Have you read all these stories, Ivan?"

Ivan raised an eyebrow, contemplating the question for a moment, knowing Yao's words always had some deeper meaning to them. "Yes," he said finally, resting his elbows on his legs and his head in his hands, watching the other carefully.

"What about this one?" Yao asked, removing a volume from the shelf and holding it up. _Snow White_. Ivan nodded. "Do you remember the traits of Snow White? Specifically, what she was aptly named for?"

"Skin as white as snow," Ivan said evenly, eyes half closed, "Fairest in the land, blah blah blah. So what?"

Yao laughed softly, "Yes. Do you remember what saved her from the spell that had been cast on her? The _death-like_ state she was in?"

"A kiss," Ivan deadpanned, "Woo-hoo. And the point is..."

The older teen ignored him, placing the book back on the shelf and withdrawing another, "And this one? What saved the girl in this one, Ivan?"

"Aurora was saved by _True Love's First Kiss_," he frowned, as if it was obvious, eyes lingering uneasily on the ornate cover of _Sleeping Beauty_ for a moment longer than he intended.

"Correct, aru." Yao nodded, moving on to another book on the shelf, "And this one?"

"True love, again," Ivan said, biting his lip, still feeling unsettled by this procedure. What was Yao getting at? "The Beast was saved by Belle's love for him."

"That he was," Yao smiled slowly, placing the thing back on the shelf, wiping away a bit of dust from the wood with a frown. _Mental note_, he thought, _dust Ivan's room, aru_. "Remember these stories, Ivan. They'll be worth more than you know one day." He shifted his hand across the shelf until his fingers rested on _Snow White_ once more, "Especially this one. Remember how her life was saved, and why she was called Snow White."

Ivan sighed, standing up again and placing a hand on the doorknob, "I was half hoping that would lead to something about you wanting me to choose my _true love_ or something."

"That was part of it," Yao smiled in reply, flicking the dust from his fingers absentmindedly.

"Well, just so you know, I'd like to have you as mine," Ivan whispered, mostly to himself.

"And as I told you, you're destined for greater things, Ivan," Yao said softly, "Now go, eat breakfast before King Arthur comes looking for you."

The younger teen turned away and shuffled out into the hall with an exasperated groan. God, why did Yao have to be so difficult, he just didn't understand it. Yeah, sure, maybe he was only fourteen, but still. Another long, drawn out sigh and he began to trudge down the hall, scuffing his feet in the carpet as he let his thoughts take over. _Skin as white as snow_, yeah, sure. He snorted in frustration, trailing a hand along the wall. "Well, if I ever meet someone like that, I'll be sure to keep an eye on them," he muttered after a moment, trying to recall if he already knew anyone like that. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized he ever took time to notice anyone's specific skin tone. Only creepers like Francis and Antonio did that. He made a face at the thought, imagining his adopted father running up to people just to see exactly how tan they were. Weird.

* * *

Kiku was holding a massive stack of fresh towels as he followed his older brother down the twisting hallways of the Main Hetalia castle. There would be guests arriving tomorrow, and they had to have all the spare rooms prepared. The two nights from now would be the anniversary of the fall of the Old North Kingdom, and as usual at this time of year, all the high class royalty nationwide were invited to the castle to join the kings in the mourning rituals. Yao had told him a little over four years ago about the story of the North Kingdom's fall, and he hadn't forgotten it. So even if it was just this little bit, he felt that he should be honored to help in the preparations. Except that he wasn't.

How could he be, on this warm July day? It really wasn't fair that he was stuck inside folding and carrying towels willy-nilly around the castle while the sun was shining outside. But he supposed that he'd just have to suck it up. After all, he was a servant in training, or something like that.

A tap on a nearby window startled him so bad he nearly dropped all his towels as he smacked into Yao's back, the older having to stop to see what the commotion was. Who could possibly be tapping on the window? It was over five feet off the ground, after all. It couldn't possibly be...

"That young High Prince and his brother was going to get themselves in big trouble one of these days," Yao muttered, turning to take the stack of towels from his siblings. "Go and play with them, before they kill themselves in efforts to get your attention."

The younger brother bounded over to the window, unlatching it to push it open and peer down at the perpetrators. Alfred was balanced on Matthew's shoulders, the pair swaying dangerously, and Natalia stood some distance away firmly rooted to the ground as if she had no desire at all to participate in their shenanigans. "A-Alfred! Hurry up! You're heavy!" Matthew whined, "How many waffles did you eat today anyways?"

"Six, one for each year like usual, now hush," he turned back to the window, blue eyes gleaming with mischief. "Come on Kiku, let's go play." He held out his hands for the other, ignoring Matthew's groan of protest as Kiku obligingly took said hands and climbed out of the window, causing the twins to wobble a second before Matthew squeaked and they came crashing to the ground.

Alfred groaned after he'd gotten his breath back, deciding that he should be the one to hold up his twin next time, since he was stronger. But still, it was way more fun to be the one who got to knock on the window anyways. Rolling over onto his stomach, his eyes widened slightly as he noticed Kiku sitting next to him, head clutched between his hands and eyes watering. "Ah! Did you bump your head?" he asked, worry washing over him even as Kiku shook his head. "Don't lie, let me see."

Kiku sniffled and removed his hands from the sides of his head, watching out of the corners of his eyes as Matthew got sidetracked with his stuffed bear, which had gotten covered in dirt in the fall, "S'okay," he mumbled, flinching slightly as Alfred gingerly touched the growing bump on his scalp.

The blond frowned, sitting up on his knees and tangling his fingers into Kiku's hair briefly, leaning down to place a careful kiss on the swelling. "There, better now?" He laughed as Kiku blushed furiously and started to stutter out a reply, "Ha ha, come on, let''s go throw rocks at the lake monster, kay?"

* * *

Ivan paced back and forth in the halls of the lower part of the castle, his feet eventually leading him down to one of the darker places in the underground storage rooms. He wasn't sure why he kept moving, only that it felt uncomfortable to stand still. It was almost as if he was unconsciously searching for something while lost deep in his thoughts. He shrugged the idea off, glancing around at the barrels of various still maturing alcohols. A little taste test here and it wouldn't hurt, now would it.

He crouched down next to the nearest barrel, reading the label with faint interest before popping the top off and dipping a finger inside. A small frown crossed his face at the taste. Not even close to being ready yet. Better find an older one. Grinning, he read the date on the next barrel, pleased to see that it was over ten years old already. Perfect. Prying the lid off, he dipped his whole hand in, licking the stuff off with a satisfied smirk. Francis really did know how to brew up a good wine, no doubt about it. He was just about to move on to a third barrel when the door to the storage area swung open, casting the room in the unexpected glow of candlelight. Startled, and not wanting to be caught for sneaking around in here _again_, Ivan darted behind the nearest pile of wooden barrels.

Footsteps echoed off the stone walls and floor as the intruder made their way down the stairs and around a few of the barrels. Ivan didn't dare to risk peering out of his hiding place even as the person began to fill up a bottle from one of the barrels. "Ah, what's this, aru? Who left one of the barrels open?"

Ivan didn't know whether to flinch at his stupid mistake, or to sigh with relief that it was only Yao. He stood up, dusting off his pants as he did so, "Sorry, didn't know it was you," he smiled.

Yao frowned, "You know you're not supposed to be down here, aru. You're still underage."

"And you're still stubborn," Ivan drawled, stepping a bit closer. He reached out and grabbed Yao's arm as the other tried to instinctively backpedal. "Just listen to me, please," he begged, eyebrows furrowing together. "Not everything has to have that fairytale ending, Yao. You said I was 'Destined for greater things,' but so what! Who says that I have to play by the rules of destiny? That's ridiculous! I want to make my own destiny, thank you very much."

"Ivan, don't..."

"I'm an inch taller than you are now," Ivan interrupted, "So isn't it time you stopped playing my caretaker, and started playing something else?" He leaned in closer, his mouth only a hair's breadth from Yao's ear, "Don't tell me that you don't love me."

"You're cruel, aru." Yao whispered. "What am I supposed to tell you then? That you're the most important person in my life? Because it seems you already knew that, didn't you, aru?" He bit his lip, frustrated tears welling in his eyes, "A servant and a prince hardly go together, Ivan."

"And neither do peanut butter and jelly," Ivan smiled, "but guess what, they work pretty well together, don't you think?" He kissed the side of Yao's neck, pressing him up against the wall, "So, what harm will it do if you humor me, Yao?"

"It'll harm my dignity," Yao huffed, sucking in a shaky breath as Ivan moved a bit to catch his lips. The older teen tangled his fingers into the back of Ivan's ornate nobility shirt, drawing back a bit, "Ivan, please..."

"Too late to change my mind," Ivan warned softly, kissing him again and pressing their bodies together.

Yao hissed between his teeth, trying to back up only to have his shoulders scrape against the bricks at his back, "Stop, Ivan, you don't know what you're..."

"Shush, I know exactly what I'm doing," Ivan murmured near his ear. "Stop treating me like a little kid, Yao." He traced one hand down the other's chest, slipping it beneath the hem of Yao's pants.

"Ivan!"

"Don't treat me like a child, Yao!" Ivan snapped, "because you're hardly one either anymore, are you?" He smirked as Yao gasped, face growing red as Ivan took him in his hand, "This part of you doesn't lie, Yao," he smiled, kissing him again as he ran his thumb over the head, pushing the other's pants down a bit farther.

Yao groaned, unconsciously jerking up into his grasp, "Ivan..." He jerked away from the kiss, pressing his face into the taller teen's shoulder with a moan as Ivan only gripped him tighter, moving his fingers along his length.

"Just go ahead and come, Yao." Ivan urged, "You know you want to." He smirked as Yao gasped again, bucking up into his hand with a strangled noise of pleasure.

The older teen shook his head, biting his lip and digging his nails into Ivan's back as he couldn't help but comply, spilling out hot seed into Ivan's waiting hand, hips still jerking. "You're... So mean, aru," he whispered hoarsely, blushing furiously as he realized what he'd done.

Curiously, Ivan licked some of the stuff off his palm. "You clearly enjoyed it," he remarked smoothly, watching as Yao narrowed his eyes in response. "Tell me you love me, Yao. And none of your lies this time, da?"

Yao snorted, pulling up his pants to their proper place and striding past him, grabbing the bottle he'd come down here to fill as he went. He was at the top of the stairs before he turned, a defiant smirk on his face, "Wo ai ni, Ivan, you jerk."

Ivan smiled, "Let's do this again sometime."

* * *

Gilbert paused to wipe the sweat from his brow, gripping the hilt of his sword tight in his other hand. "Don't stop now," he urged as Roderich stalled on the opposite side of the room, "I'm not tired yet, aristocrat."

Roderich rolled his eyes, "You should be. We have to head out towards Main Hetalia tomorrow, you should get some rest, Gilbert."

"And that's exactly why I'm not resting," Gilbert huffed indignantly, "I need to get more practice in."

"And what exactly are you planning to do with all of it?" Roderich asked, taking up a defensive stance again as Gilbert gripped his blade with both hands once more.

"You never know," the albino smirked in reply, darting towards him. His blows were easily parried off by the much more experienced Roderich, and his sword nearly flung from his grasp by an unexpected swing from below. He ducked, twisting out of the way and around the other's back before Roderich had time to breathe, pressing the tip of his blade against his spine. "My win," he smiled.

"Then that makes us ninety-three to one," Roderich deadpanned. "So now that you've moved up a step, can we _please_ get some rest now? I'll be asleep on my horse tomorrow at this rate."

"And wouldn't that be hysterical," Gilbert remarked. He was promptly hit upside the head by a reprimanding hand.

"And you'll be even worse for wear then he will be," Elizaveta scolded. "Now off to bed, the both of you."

Gilbert groaned, but shuffled away, hanging up his sword on the rack near the door as he went, and almost colliding with the person standing just outside the room. "Jesus Ludwig! What are you doing up so late?"

The young blond scuffed his feet against the wooden floor, staring at the wall, "Why are you working so hard at your lessons all of a sudden, brother?"

The question put Gilbert slightly off balance, "Well, that's..." He hesitated, unsure of what to say exactly, and he rested a hand on his sibling's hand reassuringly. "There's... Someone that I want to protect, West. Do you understand?" Ludwig nodded, "Good boy. Now come on, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, ja?"

xXx

It had been less than 24 hours before the last day of the year was gone and a new year will come. And I did it. I managed to post the one last chapter of the original story before the new year came.

After this chapter, I will have my own chapter posted. This continues with the original story where the author has left off. The summary and plot outline of the story is with me and I will try to update this story every week if possible. Since new year also means that new school semester is gonna start and busy ensures everything... :(

I don't know what to say of this chapter... It was another foreshadowing of all the things that are bounded to happen in later chapters. Oh no, please be something good...

And finally, this is the age list of the characters in the story. As this is an AU, the characters aren't nation but humans that ages matters. This age list is based on their age on this chapter, another new age list will be put up when the story has come to the present time arc.

Age List

Francis - 32

Arthur - 30

Antonio -34

Yao -17

Ivan - 14

Gilbert - 15

Elizaveta - 33

Roderich - 33

Vash - 32

Liech - 27

Ludwig - 8

Feliciano and Lovino - 7

Natalia - 7

Kiku - 7

Alfred and Matthew - 6


	8. Author's Note

**Author's Note: Reminder and Disclaimer**

Hey there, everyone, it's a new year so I suppose before I start with everything I should wish all of you a 'Happy New Year' at the beginning of this page. :)

First of all, I need to make it clear to all of you regarding this One Last Fairytale story in hope that you all won't mess it up.

This story actually originally owned by **Kari Kurofai** but the story has been abandoned before it was completed. I just get the permission from the original author to rewrite and complete this story since I also have some interest in this story.

The first seven chapters are literally carbon copy of the original story and I do not owned these chapter. I write this story from chapter 8 onwards, but I don't own anything. The story plot all belongs to the original author and I'm just writing it according to what the author had given to me.

And lastly, my writing style may differs with the original author. There may be a little or distinct difference between my chapters and the copied ones. So, please excuse me for my bad grammars, spelling mistakes and lame English writing skills, you are all free to criticize me if there's some errors I have done. Thank you.

As always, thanks for those who have been liking and following this story. Finally, we can move to the next part of the story where the original author left the important part off. I will try my best to update this story whenever possible. There would probably be about 8 to 10 chapters left before this story is complete, so reviews, feedbacks and suggestions are well appreciated to make my day (and the story too). I hope you all will continue to enjoy reading this story in the future chapter.

Special thanks to **Kari Kurofai** for letting me adopt this story and providing the story plot. It was her contribution that gives me the motivation to keep writing and complete this story.

Next time,

**AriaYuuki**~


	9. Chapter 8

I'm back! It's like I have been like dead for a while. And finally, finally, my own new chapter for this story has started to unfold. Please read and enjoy!

**One Last Fairytale: Remember the Memories**

Arthur fiddled with his collar before inhaling a deep amount of air in hope to lessen the tight knot that was giving him uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. Francis went to place a comforting hand on his husband's shoulder as an attempt to calm him down. Arthur looked back at him, forcing a failed smile at him in hope to assure Francis that he is fine.

The look Francis received from Arthur did not satisfy him, though. He sighed and cupped Arthur's face in his hands. "Cheri, it has been more than seven years already and yet you are still not over it."

Arthur sniffled a little, trying not to let his tears fall. "I-It is just t-too painful to remember this day..." He mumbled to his husband. "So many people died because of me... Katyusha, Germania and Roman... They all died because of me..."

Francis went to hug his husband and Arthur just gladly accepted it as Francis ran soothing circles on his back. "But it's not your fault, cheri. It was that corrupted father of yours who started up all these riots." Francis tried to reason him.

"D-Don't talk about him again..." Arthur pulled himself back from Francis, sobbing. "That man can never be m-my father... He killed Ivan's mother, s-so many of the innocents... A-And he even took your father away just when you h-had reunited with him for the first time in s-seven years..."

"Forget it, cher." Francis cut his sentence. "That's all in the past and we can never change it... But all we can do now is to appreciate what they had done for us and make sure we won't let their effort go waste."

Arthur gave him a bitter smile before replying, "Thank you, Francis... I'm glad that we had all their support. And that's why... We will always remember them in our hearts..."

They stayed like that for a while when a servant came in and inform them that their guests had arrived and are now waiting for them. Arthur stood up and dusted his clothes before heading towards the door. Francis followed soon and went to hold Arthur's hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze as a form of comfort which Arthur returned. The two kings walked to the grand hall hand in hand to where their guests are waiting.

As they walked across the hallway to their destiny, Arthur managed to catch a glimpse beyond the castle ground. He observed the streets that stretches and dwindles until they all met at the central square of the city of Main Hetalia. Arthur could make out the whole bunch of white and yellow flowers that scattered all over the streets and the central plaza. He paused in his footsteps while taking in the scent of the flowers as his mind began to flash the images of those painful past. Thanks to Francis, giving him a little nudge from behind which snapped him from his trance and continued to walk towards the grand hall.

Arriving at the grand hall, there stood Roderich, Elizaveta, Vash, Liech and some other guests of nobility they have invited, all clad in their black ceremonial mourning clothes. Vash brought a message from Antonio saying that he was unable to attend the ceremony because of the twins back at his Southeast Castle. Needless to say, it's a tough one being alone having to rule a kingdom and taking care of two little children at the same time, and that Lovino kid is already a pain in the ass at such young age!

The nobles in the room exchanged glances from each other, knowing well that no word is enough for comfort. With a nod of approval from Arthur, he stood alongside with Francis at the front of the hall and the rest of the guests stood behind them as they began to mourn for those who had died in the Old Northern Kingdom, followed with the tragedy of Main Hetalia revolution which killed all the late rulers that once brought so many glory to the kingdom. This moment of silence meant so much for them, for the deaths, just a little reminiscent of the past and their long gone beloved, a reminder not to let the dark past happen again.

After what it seemed like an eternal of grave silence and solemn, Arthur announced that everyone went to the garden to pay the deceased people their respect. He and Francis then led everyone out of the hall, each person taking a white flower from the maids when walking down the hall to the garden.

At a hidden corner of the garden at Main Hetalia castle ground, laid a tall and sturdy building that stood erected in the midst of it. The monument in memorial of the tragic history. Arthur had decided to keep this part of the garden away from the children because he afraid they will disturb the deceased while trying to hide the pain they had been through so many years which was still fresh in their memories.

In utter silence, Arthur and Francis led the crowd to place their stalk of white flower at the foot of the monument. Once again, they let a moment of silence reverberated throughout the castle and into the city and streets as the last respect for those to rest in peace.

* * *

While the adults were at the garden performing a mourning ceremony, the children were hidden off somewhere in the castle. Alfred, being as loud as always, were making fun in their play room. Matthew being the quieter one of the twins just tried to tolerate his brother while Natalia remained undaunted no matter what kind of dirty pranks Alfred showed up. One of their visitor, Ludwig hid in a corner of the room, too scared to be alone surrounded by strangers. Oh, how he wished that cheerful, auburn hair kid in his dream is with him. The kids ignored and left him aside unnoticed as if he didn't exist. Well, that was alright. After all, he was used to being alone. Another loner, Kiku sat further away from the group as he reached his hand to open the window in their room that procured the view of the city of Main Hetalia. He could see flowers arranged all along the streets and the central square. From what his brother had told him, this day meant to be a blue day for the royals, especially King Arthur.

"Dude, what are you looking at?" Alfred took this as a chance to creep next to Kiku and pounced on him, giving him a shock. "M-Master Alfred..." Kiku snapped from his thoughts quickly turned to the young little prince who was towering him. Despite being the older one, Kiku always felt inferior to the boy in terms of size and strength. Perhaps the boy's appetite and daily meal intake is somewhat abnormal for a kid.

"I told you not to call me _that_." Alfred made a pout as he rolled away from the smaller boy before joining him at the window. "What do you see outside?"

Matthew and Natalia followed Alfred and joined the group, gazing into the world outside the castle wall. "I heard today is a special day." Matthew said softly. Alfred drew his head from the window and faced his twin, "What's so special about today? All I see is just so many of the flowers outside." Matthew snorted, "Al, don't you understand what the flowers meant?"

Alfred shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he replied, "What's wrong with flowers? We can see them in the garden everyday, so there's nothing special about it." He stopped his sentence for a moment before continued speaking, "Say, can we go out to the garden and play? I'm boring being stuck in here."

"But Al, dad told us not to go to the garden today. There's an important ceremony being taken place." Matthew reminded his brother. Natalia, who felt boring with their conversation just walked away and sit among the pile of toys to play.

"What's so important with _that_ ceremony?" Alfred voiced his question again, his expression like an innocent child. Well, he is a child for now. "I wanna go out and play and run rather than being locked up in here."

"I heard that today is exactly _the day_ when it happens..." Matthew said, his voice barely above whisper. "I heard it from big brother Ivan, saying that a long time ago, the king is disliked by many people because he kills many innocents, including nobility and royalty. This angers the people that a war raged up to overthrow him. In that process, many people died..."

Kiku listened their conversation silently, his face as expressionless as always. Deep down in his heart, he was glad that the piece of reality is hidden away from the princes and princess. It is not good for them to learn such a cruel reality at this age. After all, what would a kid understand about death?

Alfred cut Matthew's sentences halfway, in hope to stop all these boring stories (he thought so). "I get it, I get it. I guess we can't go out to play so why don't we go and have some snacks at the kitchen?" He asked rubbing his growling stomach. "I'm hungry already."

"But Al, we just have breakfast not too long ago." Matthew tried to reason him but was ignored. "I don't care. We eat when we are hungry, right? So, let's get going." Alfred said rushing towards the door. Matthew rolled his eyes as he followed his twin a distance away, Natalia and Kiku followed soon, not because they are hungry but because they don't want to be abandoned. The group of children walked out the room together, completely forgetting that they left their visitor behind. Ludwig crept out of his hiding spot and ran out of the room in pursuit of his brother once he made sure that he was alone.

* * *

At the other side of the castle, Yao was also having a hard time persuading Ivan out from his room. It was almost noon now and yet Ivan refused to step out from his room a single step, let alone had his breakfast.

"Ivan, open the door, aru." Yao banged his fist on the door for who knows how many times several hours ago. Seriously, what has gotten on Ivan? He can't be out of his mind, can he? "Ivan, you haven't had your breakfast! I know you don't like to come out but at least you should eat something, aru." Yao knocked again but received the same thing, no response at all. He let out a sigh as he looked at the tray of food placed on the floor that was turning cold. Ivan has never been like this before. What makes him change so much? Probably because of the incident years ago where he lost his family, the lack of companion and growing up has isolated him from the family.

"Ivan, listen up. I brought you your favourite scramble eggs." Yao said again, hoping it will move the older prince to open the door. A few minutes of silence pass and Yao sighed in defeat. What should he do to make the prince come out from his shell?

"Yo, are you having trouble? Don't worry, the awesome me is here!" All of a sudden, Yao heard footsteps from other side of the hallway. He whipped his head to find the future High Prince of the Western Kingdom running towards him with a grin on his face.

"Are you sure you can make Ivan open the door?" Yao asked, uncertainty is in his tone.

"You can trust the awesome Gilbert. I am his friend after all." Gilbert said confidently with a little sarcastic tone as he reached his hand to knock the door. "Hey Ivan, remember me? It's me, Gilbert the chicken." Upon saying so, Gilbert adopted the position as a chicken as he began to waddle and mimic the sound of the said bird. Yao watched aside with much amusement.

Slowly, the door knob was twisted and opened, revealing a sleepy and annoyed Ivan at the door. Gilbert chuckled as he ran up to Ivan and began talking something that Ivan did not register in his mind. Yao let out another sigh as he carried the tray and walked towards the pair. "I know you are excited to meet Ivan, Gilbert. But I don't think Ivan has the mood to do so now, he needs to eat something first, aru."

A scowl was formed on Ivan's face as he winced in disgust. He turned his head slightly and said, "I don't have the appetite to eat."

Yao placed the tray of food on a table and shook his head at Ivan's personality. "What's wrong with you? Are you sick or something?" He asked in concern.

"Hey that's right, you should have eaten something. It's unawesome to starve. Kesesese..." Gilbert joked, only to receive a glare from Yao and realize that this was not a joke at all.

At this point of time, Ivan had his back facing them. He was silent for a moment, seemingly to be in deep thought. A childish grin slowly spread across his face and he turned his body back to face them. "Let's talk for a while, Yao."

"Hey, no fair." Gilbert whined, "I'm your awesome friend too! Can't I stay with you too?" But with a glare from Ivan, he knew better than to stop rather than sticking his nose in their business.

A pair of small, padding footsteps raced down the lane. Gilbert turned to the source of the sound to find his little brother running towards him. "Brother..." The little blond boy whimpered as he scurried towards his brother. Gilbert's heart softened a bit as he went to embrace the little boy in his arms. "What are you doing here? You should be playing and socializing with the kids." Ludwig shook his head, somehow preferring his brother company rather than those kids of the same age. Gilbert sighed as he led his brother out of the room, with Ivan closing the door to keep them out.

"What do you want, Ivan?" Yao asked, his hands on his hips.

"I want something better than any other food." Ivan said, licking the corner of his lips. Yao shivered and backed up a bit. "I-Ivan... D-Don't..."

"Yao, why won't you accept my feelings?" Ivan whined as he inched closer to the older, but smaller boy. "I am a big boy now, you don't have to be my caretaker anymore."

"Your mother trust me to take good care of you, aru." Yao tried to reason. "A-And remember w-what I had said, there is always something better for you ahead in the future. So don't just stick to me, aru."

"And how do you think will I fare better in the future without you? There's no other people I can love more than you, Yao." Ivan said, cornering Yao. "We don't always need a _Happily Ever After_ ending like those fairy tales. They are just kids' stuff."

Yao heaved another sigh, this is getting endless. "Ivan, I'm just merely a servant and your caretaker, aru. I'm not much of a match to you. I'm sure someday you can finally meet the person whom you love and then, you can find the happiness you are looking for."

Without hesitation, Ivan tossed Yao onto his bed, causing Yao to yelp. He then topped above the boy and began to plant kisses all over his face and then on his lips. Yao freaked out a bit and pushed Ivan off him with much of his strength. "Ivan, stop it aru!"

Ivan sat across the bed and gave him a puppy face. "But I said it, I have found the person meant for me. I have been waiting for this, Yao. Why can't we do this already? I'm tired of you being my caretaker."

Yao get off from the bed and straighten his clothes before facing Ivan. "Wh-Where did you learn all this? You are still too young to do so..." Then something hit him that Ivan likes to enter Arthur and Francis' room, which was why...

"But Yao, I'm now taller than you and I'm not a kid anymore. Snap it out." Ivan went up and gripped Yao forcefully on the shoulder. "You may still treat me as a child but I won't acknowledge you as my caretaker. You are my lover and you meant a lot to me." He insisted stubbornly as he tightened his squeeze on Yao's shoulder, causing the other to flinch slightly. "Someday you'll see it. You are mine and only mine. My heart belongs to you and I will show it to you so that we will be together in the end no matter what."

"Ivan, you're insane." Yao released himself from Ivan's grip. "I won't change my mind aru. We have different destinies and I believe someday you will find someone you could truly love." He turned to see the hurt expression on Ivan's face. Once again, he felt guilty again. _I shouldn't have been that harsh on him, aru. Guess I went overboard._ "You may not understand now, aru. But someday, you will." He said, walking up to kiss Ivan. He pulled back while trying to hide his tears, "Someday, you will find the person whom your destiny is bonded to aru. Someone who has _skin as white as snow_... Someone like that..."

"Yao... I..." Ivan was about to continue but Gilbert suddenly slammed the door from outside. Both of them looked outside the door with horrified expression, hoping that Gilbert had not heard of anything. Yao's horrified expression quickly morphed away when he noticed Kiku along with the brother at the doorstep.

"It seems like the kids are looking for you." Gilbert said, holding the hands of Ludwig.

Yao walked up to Kiku, "Is there anything you need, Kiku? Or did something happened?"

The small Asian boy looked up at him and tugged his sleeves. "Master Alfred is hungry and want something to eat." Yao sighed and shook his head, that Alfred kid has been quiet a handy. Up to his record, the boy could eat six meals a day, and he doubt it would increase as he grow up, such an unusual appetite.

"Nii-san, aren't you going to prepare some food for them?" Kiku asked upon seeing his older brother's expression. "It's nothing Kiku. Seeing that it's almost lunch time, I have to prepare lunch for everyone." Yao said and he let Kiku went off first before turning back to Ivan. "Do you feel like having anything for lunch?" Ivan just groaned and said, "The usual one..." Yao nodded and walked out from the room, not before saying 'Just a moment.' Ivan sighed and slumped down onto his chair near the table. "I just want to eat you, Yao..."

Unknown to Yao who has walked out of the room, he entrusted Gilbert and his younger brother to keep Ivan in company while he was working. Gilbert smirked and replied, "It's not an awesome problem. The awesome me can handle this," before entering the room where Ivan is. Yao watched Gilbert tried to get Ivan open up to him and smiled a bitter smile, hoping everything will end in something he had hoped for... _For the sake of Ivan_... He thought to himself as tears clouded his eyes...

xXx

Finally, my own chapter is up. Sorry for being short, I considered writing other events in it but think that it will stray away from the title. And sucks in writing the characters. But I promised the other upcoming chapters will be longer like the previous ones.

First of all, I have to apologize for not updating the story as I had promised. I had delayed the whole thing for a good four months because of all the universities exams and assignments I had to deal with. And this is really one of my longest hiatus that I lost track of my story. I have to read this thing all over again to make things right.

This is not much of a long chapter as it is a little prelude to the future chapters (and I'm not in the mood to write long chapters for now). But I had the next chapter in mind and I will try to complete and upload it as soon as possible. My sem break has finally begin after the whole ordeal of endless work, so I have to finish this story quickly.

The title of this chapter is based on the celtic music **Memories** and **Remember** by Brunuhville. The next chapter will be featuring a little celebrations for our little Alfie and Mattie. Stay tune!


	10. Chapter 9

**One Last Fairytale: For the First Time in Forever**

A few days after the mourning ceremony comes the birthday celebration of the two princes. And this time, it will not be any normal birthday celebration. King Arthur has specifically request the invitation to be opened up into the public so that the citizen could also attend for the princes' birthday, much to the delight of the citizen.

And of course, getting this event ready wasn't an easy task after all. With so many things needed to be done, everyone in the castle worked day and night just to make this day perfect. The kitchen staff, including Yao were busy preparing food and the large birthday cake for the day to come. Even Francis had volunteered to help them, shoving Arthur out of the kitchen no matter how much the king wants to help. After all, Arthur's food can only be eaten by the prisoners (if you know what I mean, ahem).

The other royalties from the other kingdom agreed to stay for a few months in Main Hetalia to help celebrating the royal princes' birthday. Moreover, the kids seem to be very happy to have them for company. And hence, this ensures a merrier event.

As the big day slowly approaches, Alfred got even excited that he went crazy all over the place. All that was filled in his mind was meeting many people and running the ground outside the castle wall and see how the outside world looks. Matthew has been eager for this day to come as he imagined how the day would pass by with lots and lots of gifts and wishes from people. Kiku smiled a bit at how happy his master was for the upcoming event but he was still struggling with his present for Alfred. On the other hand, Natalia was unfazed by the event since she hated being in crowded area. She did rather isolated herself from the people and hide in the corner with her brother. But with his strange behavior lately, she didn't dare to get closer to him by an inch. In fact, she seemed to be quite anxious for the days to come as she gazed out of the window, eyes locked at somewhere very far away.

On the day of the princes' birthday, Arthur woke the kids up early and got them dressed up into their formal clothing. As the day got brighter, Alfred began pacing up and down all over the castle ground, occasionally glancing out of the window to see a massive crowd of people heading towards the castle main entrance.

"Look! Look, Mattie! There are so many people, and they are all coming for my birthday!" Alfred said in excitement. Matthew sighed and corrected his brother, "It's OUR birthday, Al. And as what dad had said, it will be a very HUGE event."

Natalia watched the twins gazing out of the window filled with excitement, talking about what kind of people and friends they will meet and all kinds of fun that awaits them. She scowled a little at the thought of Alfred getting along with other people while she was being left alone and fiddled with her silk dress. Oh, how she wished to have such an attention like them! If only...

* * *

Meanwhile, Yao was busy getting all the last minute preparation done while making sure everything was in order. Kiku who actually wanted to help his brother with the chores but only ending up letting Yao do it all since he isn't very skilled with his job yet, maybe next time...

Yao stopped his work halfway as he sent glances towards his younger brother who turned his eyes at something else that he did not know he was being watched. During the attack of the Old Northern Kingdom, he had promised his mother to watch over and take care of Kiku in her place. It tore his heart somehow, seeing that Kiku lost his mother at such young age and having to grow up without having much memories of their deceased mother. He yearned to be at Kiku's side, watching him growing up was nothing more but just a simple request as Kiku's older brother. But then, things had been unsettling recently. What with Natalia constantly dreaming something of bad omen while Kiku having flashback of the forgotten Northern Kingdom, it was just too much for children at such young age to handle, what do they know about it? Yao sighed and a scowl formed on his face, wondering just how much time was left for him to spend his time with Kiku?

Kiku, unknown that his brother was watching him, had turned his attention from the chores to the scene outside. From afar, he saw the vast sea that connected to other places. A meadow rich of golden crops ready to be harvest in the midst of a beautiful summer. The streets that stretched from the castle were coloured with lights and the finest decorations, along with full bloom of flowers. Crowds of people, strode down the street in their best suits and glorious attire, all chatting and laughing all the way while heading towards the direction of the castle. Oh, how he wished to go outside! All he wants is to have a little peek of the outside world, a world where he has never knew off since he had his earliest memories.

It seemed that Yao knew what his brother was thinking, judging by his eyes. He chuckled a little, as he placed the last set of utensils on the grand dining table before asking, "Do you want to go out and have a walk, aru?"

Kiku snapped from his daydream and turned his attention back to his brother, his eyes seemed to be pleading him to grant his permission. The older of the servant boy just smiled and waved his hand, "You should change out that clothes of your for something more presentable if you want to go out, aru. You can have some fun outside for a while, just remember to come back before the ceremony starts."

Once his words were out, he could see happiness shone in Kiku's as he stood up abruptly from the spot he was sitting. "Really, nii-san? Can I really leave the castle ground?" He asked his brother excitedly for a confirmation.

"Just don't cause any trouble outside, okay?" Yao reminded him. Before he could even receive a reply, the younger servant boy dashed out of the room with much eagerness, too excited to see the outside world. Yao smiled as he watched his brother left, while hoping that Kiku get to enjoy some freedom before he truly grow up. He just hoped that he could give something better for Kiku, as an elder brother...

* * *

As the day continued, King Arthur had given his word to open the castle door. The moment the doors opened a crack, Alfred hardly able to contain his excitement ran out of the castle and began his exploration of the outside world. He ran and bumped onto many people who were passing by towards the castle where he just simply greeted them before running off to the main street, skidding and hopping all along the way.

Though Matthew was eager to go out for a walk, he preferred staying near the castle door while watching the citizen of Main Hetalia walking on the street with amazement. He has never seen such a lively place like this before, not when being surrounded by castle walls.

Natalia was quite the opposite, however. As people began to flock into the castle, she started retreating further into her shell in hope to hide herself from the crowd. All she wanted was to accompany her brother, but he was nowhere to be seen. Fearing of such crowded scene, she stood as close as possible to her father Arthur for some comfort. Arthur did noticed her discomfort and tried to assure her that the people meant no harm in hope that she can open up to the crowd but there were no other progress made other than her greeting the guests along with her fathers. Arthur let out a sigh of giving up, knowing that Natalia will not show her weakness to people even if she knew about it.

On the other side, High Prince Antonio arrived with the Bonnefoy twins with him. Princess Felicia, being as bright as always, was smiling and talking with the guests at a rapid pace. Her twin sister, Lovina, however was the complete opposite, with a scowl that never left her face. One of the servant tried to serve her some drink but she angrily threw some dirty remarks at him, unaware of the attention she had attracted from the crowd. Antonio sighed as he quickly apologized at the servant, saying that Lovina had some... mental problem. _Really_, he thought in his own mind, _won't Lovina just behave a little?_

* * *

Meanwhile, Yao was helping Ivan doing the finishing touch of his clothes. Ivan let out a sigh as he watched his own reflection at the mirror, seeing a young man with clothes of the finest regalia. But then, his frown has never left his handsome face since this morning, as if the clothes did not suit him at all.

Yao noticed Ivan's distress and wondered what was eating the younger child. "Ivan, you have been behaving astray since then. Is there something wrong?" Yao asked in concern as he gently combed Ivan's hair to keep it in place.

Ivan did not made any response to Yao's question, which caused the Chinese boy to sigh in defeat. It was getting harder to understand what the boy was thinking, probably growing up without his real parents was giving him quite a lot of stress while dealing with it. "I just don't understand..." He spoke up, breaking the silence in the room. "Yao, can you just stop it all?" He turned and looked at Yao eye to eye.

"What are you talking about, aru?" Yao asked back in confused, shocked by the response he received from the boy. "I'm your caretaker and you are always under my watch, aru."

Without letting him finished his words, Ivan forcefully pulled Yao close to him and pressed their lips together. When they parted for breaths, Ivan panted, "Stop treating me like a child. I'm no longer a little boy and already outgrown you, so you're no longer my caretaker. Just... Just give it up..." Yao was stunned at those words before stammering "Are you insane or something? There's no way I will let you go. I had promised to be by your side no matter what because I love you, aru."

"That's not the love I want. I don't want you to love me like a caretaker towards a child, I just want... something different from that... Y' know, a different kind of love..." Ivan said, trying not to cry. "You said we are not destiny to each other but I know that your heart says otherwise. You do love me as a lover, don't you? I know it, it's just you don't want to admit it."

"Ivan... Even if I had feeling for you, it may only be contemporary... Someday, you will understand all about this, and you will still be happy in the end without me..." Yao released himself from Ivan's grasp and straightened his attire to make himself look presentable. "I do love you, Ivan. But I can't bring myself to do it, a servant can never have feeling for their master, aru."

Ivan let Yao's words sank in his mind as he felt his heart sank a bit. "Yao... Are you saying you don't love me at all?" He bitted back a sob.

Yao let out a painful sigh. Why are things so complicated? Truly, he did love Ivan since he was a child and watching him growing up only made him yearns to be with Ivan. But then, he knew his time was limited and he was worried that Ivan being clingy to him. Even if he did love Ivan, their status and age was the obstacle that would challenge their relationship.

"Ivan," Yao breathed, "What if you find yourself loving another person who was not me?" Ivan stared blankly at him, trying to comprehend what Yao was trying to deliver. "It's impossible. The only person I love is you, Yao. There is no other person that can replace you."

"No Ivan, our time together was limited." Yao reasoned. "Like in _Beauty and the Beast_, why does Belle choose the Beast over Gaston even though they met in the first place?"

"It's because Belle do not love Gaston but favours the beast instead." Ivan replied, wondering what Yao was trying to tell him. The smaller of the boy placed his hands on his waist, "I can love you as a lover for the time being, aru. But when the right time comes where you will come across your designated, you have to eventually give up something you once had because you knew what you found is something better than the other." He then locked his eyes at Ivan's deep purple orbs, "In other words, love will still be severed by time because of destiny, aru."

Ivan sighed at what Yao was saying. After trying to confess his feelings for Yao, only to get Yao rejected his feelings even though Yao do have those feelings for him, just because of destiny. Yes, blame destiny for all this trouble. He can't take it, nor was he able to enjoy the party as well. He was about to continue reasoning with Yao when an impatient Gilbert suddenly banged open the door.

"Hey there, the two of you must be taking your time in there, kesese. Anyway, we have to get going now. The party will be starting soon." He grinned as he went to take Ivan's hand in his and lead them out of the room to the ballroom. Ivan just followed reluctantly with Yao behind them.

They walked past several hallways and stairs before reaching the grand ballroom in the center of the castle. Ivan shuddered a bit seeing such a huge crowd, an unpleasant gust of feeling erupted in his stomach and all he wanted to do is to run away and hide from the crowd. But being a royal, he forced himself to stay serious in front of the guest. Gilbert and Yao sensed Ivan's uneasiness to the crowd but decided to ignore it since Ivan wasn't in the mood for it. Gilbert turned around as his crimson red eyes surveyed the people flocking in the room. At the corner of his eyes, he noticed his younger brother was talking with a young girl of almost the same age. She was wearing a green dress and white lace and her brown eyes both shone with innocence in it. She was giggling all the way while showering a lot of things in front of Ludwig, which somehow caused Ludwig to blush. Gilbert has to hold down a chuckle seeing his brother's reaction. When Ludwig has begun to open up to stranger? Perhaps that girl _has_ something with her that attracted Ludwig's attention, kesese...

Yao was also trying to pinpoint Kiku among the crowd of people. His eyes swept all over the hall but spot no one other than the kings, Natalia and Matthew. Kiku must have been with Alfred, he could have guess since Kiku has been sticking with Alfred most of the time. And judging from Alfred's behavior, he could have gone out to explore or to have some adventure. With that, he can only made a conclusion: Kiku must have ran out of the castle with Alfred. _Just like some sort of couple in fairytales..._ He thought to himself. All he could do is to hope Alfred and Kiku returned safety back to the castle, in time.

* * *

Alfred ran past several streets, brushing his shoulders past some of the people until the image of the central square came into his view. He couldn't help but gasp aloud at the sight of the city. What he sees now with his own eyes is so much different from what he saw from the window or balcony from his room. Pair of sky blue eyes scanned all over the area full of wonderment. From the lane where he had come from, he could see various stalls being set up along the road as people were trying to sell their goods. He turned towards other direction, the east where ocean of endless boundaries extended across his vision. He can feel the breeze coming from the mountains on his north. And beyond the west laid a meadow rich with grasses and crops that almost looked golden under the sun. "Wow!" He gasped with his mouth opened wide. He never had imagine that the outside world looked so beautiful, not something enough for words to describe, It's just... Amazing, for the first time.

While Alfred had been busy exploring the town, Kiku found himself getting lost in the midst of the crowd in the middle of the street. He looked around with uneasiness, feeling uncomfortable being around with a group of people, grown-up especially, was making him dizzy. He tried to avoid the people by running into an alley, hoping to find a shortcut to find Alfred. This was Master Alfred's first time being exposed to the outside world, so does him. And he have to keep an eye on Alfred in order to keep out of trouble. After all, his brother had warned him the danger of the outside world, so he must keep himself as low as possible.

As he ran past the back alley, making lots of turn in hope to find the right path. But then his luck seemed to run out as he found himself running straight into a dead end. He was about to turn back but then noticed two huge-sized man blocking his path. On the first sight, Kiku knew that those people were not to be trusted, seeing their muscular body full of scars and their expressions were something not to be messed with.

"Are ye loss, little boy?" One of them with a scar on his face asked, a crooked grin spread across his face.

"Are ye kiddin' me? Just look ta' his clothes, those don't cha seem to fit on a boy." The other man was blind on the right eye. As he smiled, two uneven rows of yellow teeth can be seen behind his lips and there seemed to have a pungent smell being emitted from it.

Kiku tried to hold his footing as he took several step backward. The men however, did not show mercy on him and began to corner him until his back found the wall, a dead end. They closed up their distance until they were just a step away from him. Kiku felt his heart sped up and he began to breathe nervously. He could even feel their breath tingling on his face.

"Don't be afraid, little one. We're he're to help ye." The blind one said in a not-so-friendly tone which sent shiver down his spine.

"I-I don't n...need your... h-help..." Kiku stuttered, trying to stand his ground.

The thug with a scared face frown a little, and Kiku knew it was not a good thing. Before he can find a way to escape, the man's face twisted and showed that crooked grin again as he went to grab hold one of Kiku's arm. "Ye hav' such beautiful face, for a boy." He said eying Kiku, causing him to shudder. "Even yer clothes looked so girlish," he continued gripping a part of the fabric of the robes Kiku was wearing.

"Please... P-Please let me go..." Kiku pleaded, trying to push the man off him but the man was way too stronger than him.

The blind one of the two went up and grabbed Kiku's other arm. "Aren't ye a stubborn one?" He said forcing Kiku to face him by grabbing his chin. "It's a waste to just let ya go away lik' that. What cha' say, bro?" He turned to his comrade.

The scar-faced man made a crooked grin and a gruff laugh. "Yer right... I wanna hav' some fun with'im." He said as he slid his hand on Kiku's back, intending to tear his clothes.

Kiku let out a gasp in shock and tried to shove them away but he was too small to defend himself. He kicked, struggled, twisted and writhed with all his might in hope to release himself from their grasp. But then, one of them clasped his mouth shut to prevent him from making any noise. "Let's take him ta' somewher' else. I know a place betta' than her'." He said as they tried to drag Kiku away from the alley.

* * *

Alfred was running across the street market. His eyes full of wonder and amazement as he had a good look at the goods the merchant are selling and the smell of food was making him hungry. Speaking of food, he suddenly remembered the party that was going to take place in the castle and decided that he should head back or his father will come searching him with an army of soldiers.

Without much of a thought, he ran into an alley, in hope to find a shortcut to get back to the castle. That was when he heard a muffled scream and some sinister laughing sound coming from somewhere not too far from him. He ran around to locate the source of the sound and found Kiku being surrounded by two big thugs who was trying to rape him. His heroic instinct kicked in and he jumped high up into the air and dived straight onto one of the thugs.

"Belly flop!" was all Alfred managed to say as he landed straight onto one of the thugs' stomach. The impact was strong enough that the half-blind man jerked himself away, letting go Kiku in the process as his hands went to clutch his stomach where Alfred had crashed him. "What ta' hell?"

"Kiku, are you alright?" Alfred quickly went to help Kiku up. His eyes scanned over Kiku in worry. Kiku was not harm bodily, except that his clothing seemed to have gotten loose and he appeared to be sobbing. "We have to get outta here quick." He said holding Kiku's hand as they wanted to dash out from the alley but the two thugs had blocked their way out.

The scared one grinned wickedly as he saw Alfred trying to protect Kiku. "How sweet, havin' a hero savin' yer. But yer nothin' but a kid, how are ye gonna fight us?"

Alfred puffed his chest out while trying to intimidate them, "I'm a hero and hero don't let bad guys do what they want!" The thugs smiled a little at Alfred's innocence before they charged towards him to attack them.

Alfred tried to take down the scar-faced one who charged towards him but the other one used this chance to grab Kiku and separated them. "Kiku!" Alfred called out in despair as he saw Kiku being grabbed by force. Anger rushed through his vein that he used his inhuman strength and carried the thug that attacked him with much ease, much to the shock of the man. He threw the man towards his comrade who was trying to rape Kiku. The half-blind man was being knocked square in the face and he let go of Kiku. Alfred caught the smaller boy before he hit the ground and the two quickly scurried away before the thugs could give them chase.

"Are you alright, Kiku?" Alfred asked once they managed to outrun the thugs and back into the main street. Kiku, who was tired with all the running, was panting while trying to regain his breath from the frightening experience. He just nodded briefly while standing shakily. Alfred took a good look at him and went to support him.

"Your clothes don't look good." He said, "Those bastard must have tried to rip your clothes apart. But's a lucky they didn't." He then tried to help Kiku tightened his clothes but noticed that those thugs have ripped his sash in order to loosen his clothes by force. "Stay here," he told Kiku, "I will be back for in a while, don't worry." Kiku just gave him a silent nod and leant back onto the wall for support as Alfred blended into the crowd heading somewhere.

Alfred came back not long later, much to Kiku's relief with a piece of cloth with him. He was glad that he remembered to bring some money with him in case things come in handy (he stole it when sneaking into his fathers' chambers). He helped Kiku tied the piece of sash around his waist and tightened his clothes so that he looked presentable. Kiku just blushed at what Alfred had gone through for him and tears started to glisten in his orbs.

"Stop crying, okay?" Alfred placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder in hope to comfort him. "S-Sorry..." Kiku stuttered almost inaudibly but Alfred had heard it. "You don't need to apologize. It's my fault for running out of the castle causing troubles to you." When he did not hear any reply from Kiku, he just sighed and held out his hand, "let's go back shall we? We will be late for the party."

Kiku accepted Alfred's help and held his hand for support. Alfred wanted to turn away but he noticed something at the corner of his eyes. Kiku followed his eyes and found them landing at a pot of assorted flowers that he couldn't even name some. Alfred glanced at the flowers in daze before shaking his head, snapping himself from his trance. "We have to go now." He said taking Kiku's hand and raced back off to the castle.

* * *

"There you are, Alfred. I have been wondering where you have been to." As expected, Arthur was already at the castle gate waiting for Alfred's return. "I take that you have a good time outside. Have you been behaving well?" He asked embracing Alfred.

Alfred pondered for a moment before answering his father's question, "The city is very beautiful. I have never knew that the sea is so big and the mountain is that high. And there are so many people here and there." He narrated what he had seen in the outside world, saving the part where he rescued Kiku from the bad thugs. Arthur couldn't help but smile at his son's pure innocence, he then turned his attention to Kiku who was following behind Alfred. "Kiku, I'm glad you returned safely with Alfred. Your brother must be inside the hall waiting for you." Kiku gave an awkward bow and quickly head into the castle to find his brother.

With that, the birthday party proceeded in a blur. Alfred could hardly remember what was happening during the dining session since he enjoyed his food too much to actually notice what was happening around him. By the time when meal time was over, it was time for entertainment and Alfred found himself being surrounded by the adults spinning and dancing all over the room, which was making him dizzy. Matthew took this as an opportunity to talk with his brother.

"Do you have fun running in the city?" He asked his brother sheepishly. "I bet you have seen a lot of things out there, don't cha?"

"Of course, Mattie. And you practically missed all the fun outside." Alfred then related everything he had seen in the city, including the part where he saved Kiku from being raped. Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother's first experience of being a hero, as if he had saved the day. "I just hope you don't scared Kiku." He mumbled under his breath.

As the music began, Francis swept Arthur into a waltz and they began to dance to the music. While the children were not looking (he thought so), Francis would secretly planted kisses on Arthur's face or trying to get his hands roamed over Arthur's body, causing the king's face to flare up and he would tried to stomp Francis' foot but Francis evaded it before he could attack. The kids, Alfred and Matthew in particular sat near the throne of their parents practically fainted from seeing what they did. Natalia just watched without any expression on her face. Her eyes trailed to another side to see Roderich guiding Elizaveta for a dance. Next to them were Vash and Liech dancing to the music. Even Antonio was in the crowd dancing with a certain lady. The only thing was that she cannot find her brother among the crowd.

"Ex... Excuse me, lady..." She then heard someone talking to her and tried to ignore it. "M-My lady... W-Would you mind... if I request?" But then, that person was persistent. Unable to take it, she whipped her head to the other side to see a young man almost the same age as her, probably a bit older judging from his height. "Are you talking to me?" She asked while narrowing her eyes, not used to being around strangers.

"Y-Yes..." The boy said nervously and held out a shaky hand before asking sheepishly, "M-May I... Have this dance w-with you?"

Natalia scowled a little at the young man's request. She would have slapped the man's hand and rejected his request. But then, at the corner of her eyes, she saw that both her fathers had finished their dance and were looking at her expectantly. Considering what Arthur had taught her, she decided to obey her father rather than violating it. "... Alright... But just this dance." She stood up reluctantly and let the boy guided her onto the center of the room.

* * *

At the other corner, where the meal was once being held sat a half-drunken Ivan with an annoyed Gilbert. "Ivan, you shouldn't be drinking that. You're underage to do so." Gilbert tried to make sense on Ivan's head but the boy was already drunken after taking his third glass of wine.

"Why won't... Hic! I love him... Hic! But why he does not... Hic! Love me back..." Ivan said somberly. Gilbert sighed at the boy's behavior, what caused him to become like this?

"That's not good to think it like this, Ivan." Gilbert said in a worried tone, "A person rejecting your feeling ain't meaning that nobody loves you." He gently ran his hand over Ivan's back, the image of his nightmare flashed before him and only made him vowed to protect Ivan. "No matter what happen, I will always be by your side."

Ivan managed a sad smile and continued pouring the liquor down his throat. "That was... Something so nice... Hic! But then... Hic! Not enough to... Hic! Give me... enough comfort..." He lamented, "Just how... Hic! How much do you... Hic! Actually understand... how I... Hic! Feel losing the person I had... treasured so much..."

"But Ivan," Gilbert reasoned, "I do understand you. I know how you feel when you lost your parents. And I swear that I will protect you from now onward no matter what happen." He was trying to hit sense into Ivan's mind but Ivan doesn't seemed to listen and proceeded to drink. Angrily, he quickly shoved the glass of wine off his hand, "Just stop drinking, can't you?! You're already at your limit!"

"But it tastes so good..." Ivan whined as he tried to reach out for the drink but Gilbert placed it out of reach. "That's it! Enough is enough!" It was lucky that sleep finally taken over the drunken boy as he began to lose consciousness and slumped over the table, his head lolled to aside, eyes closed, began to snore in his dreams. "Get up! Get up! Wake up, damn you! It's still not the time to sleep!" Gilbert shook Ivan with much force. When he received no reply, he intended to slap his face several time but the boy remained asleep like death. The only thing reassuring him that Ivan was alive was his evening breath. "Bastard! Why you have to be that troublesome?" Gilbert scratched his head before trying to lift Ivan up and took him to his room.

"Gilbert, what's going on in there, aru?" Yao suddenly approached them and was shocked to see a sleeping Ivan. "What happened to Ivan?" He asked, worried. "He got drunk..." Gilbert replied sullenly, "I told him not to drink so much but he did not listen, saying about somebody rejecting his feelings and that..."

Yao quickly went up to help Gilbert supported the drunken boy and the two of them helped Ivan up to his room. Truth saying, Ivan was quite big for a teenager at the age of fourteen and with him being drunk and sleepy only weighed his down more. The two older teens had spent almost ten minutes climbing up the stairs and putting him on bed. Yao then proceeded to help Ivan changed out his clothes. Gilbert wanted to stay and help but Yao said he can handle it himself and so Gilbert left the room, trusting Yao to take care of Ivan.

Yao gently removed the layers of clothing Ivan was wearing while trying not to disturb him from his slumber. Thought he did made a mental note to monitor Ivan regularly to keep him away from getting drunk, he just can't help but laughed a little at the boy's childish behavior. He was about to remove the last article the prince was wearing when suddenly Ivan flipped over, surprising Yao as he was being swept onto the bed.

"Ivan, aru." Yao gasped in shocked as he saw Ivan topping him on bed. "I thought you're asleep, aru." He noticed past of Ivan's clothing gotten loose and showed his developing limps and the pale skin tone almost matching his hair and blushed a little.

"Your smell woke me up, Yao." Ivan said, still being drunk closed his distance with the smaller boy.

"Ivan... No..." Yao pleaded weakly, but Ivan gripped him even tighter.

"Stop lying, you know you want this..." He said, planting kisses on Yao's neck while inhaling the scent of certain flowers from the boy's silky hair. "Yao-Yao, just how long are you going to deny it? We are meant for each other, don't you realize that?"

Knowing that Ivan had gotten drunk just because of him, Yao felt tears clouded his eyes. He knew that he had feeling for Ivan, ever since they were young. But he was too afraid to confess and develop his feeling for Ivan because reality is just too painful to endure. Even if Ivan accepted his feelings, no one would approve it. Like Ivan, he also thinks that fairytale was nothing but just a saying to make it sound sweet.

"Ivan, I'm really sorry..." Yao said, stretching one of his hands to gently caress Ivan's soft skin. "I never knew you're hurting all the time, aru." He smiled a weak smile. "If you wanted to know, I do love you too." Upon hearing those words, Ivan loosen his grip on Yao as he let the words sank in. "But do you really think you will get what you want in the end? Some things won't go as you wish, you know?"

"I... I don't care..." Ivan answered, "I don't care what happens or whoever that is trying to reject us. All I want is to be with you and spend a lifetime with you, Yao." He then went to cup Yao's face in his hand as he made his decision clear to him. "All I want is you to be by my side. Stay with me, Yao, won't you?"

Yao sat up slightly after Ivan had released him. He then went to kiss Ivan by the cheek, "I'm sorry, Ivan. But you do know that price we had to pay if we were to be in a relationship, aru." He pulled himself away and looked in a distance away. "I knew it from the start that we will not be together as always, aru. As example, just look at our status and position. Who would accept a prince courting a servant? It's impossible for that, aru."

He was being cut off by Ivan, squeezing his hands tightly in his hold. "Yao, I know Arthur and he was not like his father. He will understand. I will just talk to him and explain the whole ordeal. After all, he has been through the same hardship as us and he won't let us suffer as he did. I will make sure that you are being accepted into the family."

Tears glistened on Yao's brown eyes as he just shook his head and released his hands from Ivan's grip. "No Ivan, it's impossible. Our relationship is not like Arthur and Francis, they are both princes but of slightly different ranks, aru. But ours is a different matter, the gap between our positions is too large. Even if they approved our relationship, the public will not accept the fact of a prince marrying a servant which jeopardizes his future, aru." A single tear rolled down his cheek and he used his sleeves to rub it off. "Moreover, I'm older than you. You can't marry someone who's older than you, aru."

Ivan opened his mouth but said nothing. He closed his mouth again, hesitating what should he said to comfort Yao. In the end, he just decided to hug Yao rather than saying anything, followed by pressing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I'm sorry to force you into this, Yao." Ivan said after a while of silence. "I-I... I just want to have you to me..."

"I'm sorry too, aru..." Yao sobbed, "I'm sorry for not telling you how I feel earlier..." He sniffed and forced a weak smile, "I-I just want you to believe in finding your own happiness... And I know that y-you will still be h-happy... Even without me..."

Ivan hugged him tighter and let tears slipped down his face silently. "D-Don't say that, Yao." With that being said, he pushed Yao onto the bed and kissed him forcefully. "You're my happiness, and there's no one else's I'm willing to share my entire life with you, no matter what because I know you're meant to be mine." He continued as he began planting kisses along Yao's neck before proceeding to strip him.

Yao gasped at what Ivan was doing and he nudged Ivan a little, causing the taller boy to stop and looked up at him. "Don't be silly, Ivan. There's no way people would accept our relations, aru. There's no way Arthur and Francis will not accept this ridiculous relation between a prince and a servant." He blushed before continued, "As I had said, I'm older than you, Ivan. You can't marry a person who's older than you, aru. People will think you're being dominated."

A smile formed on Ivan's lips. He bent in to kiss Yao on the forehead, then his cheeks. "I don't care what other people will say about us. Nobody can stop us. If people object us for being together, then let us run away from this unhappy reality and live out own life." He then pressed a forced kiss on Yao's, both their tongues slithered into each other's wet cavern in a hot dance while gaining dominance of each other. At this point of time, Yao accidentally bit too hard on Ivan's lips, causing a string of red blood to ooze out from the wound. The two parted away and Ivan used his tongue to lick the part where Yao had bitten. "You're a rough one, Yao-Yao."

"Wh-Where did you learn this from?" Yao blushed a bit and looked sideway. It's a useless question anyway, since he always noticed Ivan slipping into Arthur and Francis' room. "If you really insist on it... Let's be in a relationship, aru." He said which caused Ivan to perk up with excitement. "But I meant that we do it secretly, not letting anyone knowing about us being in love, aru."

Ivan sighed again when Yao gave the request. He proceeded to nib Yao on his neck until it left a pink scar on the skin. "Yao, we don't have to be that secretive. Let's just run away, no one can catch us and we can do whatever we want." He then began to unbutton Yao's shirt.

"I would like to, Ivan. It's just that..." Yao hesitated, not knowing how to explain this. Instead, he sat up on bed and hugged Ivan, hands brushing his platinum blonde hair. "I still have to take care of Kiku. I promised mama to do so, aru."

"You are a troublesome one, Yao..." Ivan mumbled as he began planting kisses on Yao's bare chest, before sliding off his pants.

"Just be patient, aru." Yao punched Ivan on the arm. "I had to make sure at least Kiku grow up and is able to manage his own and his work before I left my job, aru." He said as he began to undo Ivan's clothes as well.

"Very well then," Ivan smirked and pushed Yao back onto the bed. "I will wait. After all, Arthur won't force me into marriage if I did not find someone I love, just don't delay too long."

And with that, they began to share hot searing kisses, touching and nibbling throughout the night. Each party would try to leave a scar to mark their ownership on each other while wanting to have something memorable for their first time. Ivan can still remember how it feels to have his first time when he slid his member inside Yao's entrance, with Yao moaning and pleading for Ivan and how they climaxed together. It was perfect, Ivan believed to be. How he wished something like this will never end. He smiled a little, inhaling the flowery scent of the boy's silky hair and his small petite frame secured safely in his arms. Yao was his, and only his, no one but he can claim ownership of Yao. Until the end, both got tired of their nightly event and fell asleep in each other's arms, with a smile on their faces.

* * *

Back at the party, Arthur had retired dancing and was now at the table drinking alcoholic drink with Francis by his side. Alfred watched the party continued with a bored expression. He looked around and saw his brother chatting with the twin princess of the Southeast Kingdom and the West Kingdom little prince was quietly listening to their conversation followed by his older brother. One of the twins would often get angry and began yelling all over the place but the High Prince of Southeast Kingdom would calm him down in no time. Why would a princess have such hot temperament? Somehow he was not interest in their conversation at all, if only Kiku was with him but the young servant boy was nowhere to be seen. Natalia was still dancing among the crowd with that mysterious shy boy who seemed happy to have her as a company.

His mind then lingered off to somewhere else, dreaming about him holding Kiku in his arms and dancing among the crowd. The moment the music stops, he would present a single flower to him and kissed Kiku on the cheeks.

_No way!_ He thought to himself as he shook his head and snapped himself off from his daydream. "M-Master? M-Master Alfred?" Instead he heard someone calling for him. He whipped his head around and saw the black-haired little boy facing him. His face immediately lightened up at the sight of him, "Kiku, there you are. I have been looking for you."

"S-Sorry for leaving you..." Kiku made a bow as in apology. "I-I just... I just had some work to attend to..."

"S' okay," Alfred said, "At least you're here now, let's have some fun." He then went to grab Kiku's hands without waiting for his reply. "B-But A-Alfred... I-I..." Kiku blushed while trying to release his hand from Alfred's grip. "Oh, c'mon." Alfred whined, "I have been boring all these time, and all I want is a perfect dance partner." He then whirled Kiku into a dance and led him to the dance floor.

Kiku was confused the moment Alfred swept him into the dance floor and he struggled quite a while to stay on his footing while maintaining his balance. For him as a servant, he has never been exposed to such entertaining event and dancing was never his chores. If it wasn't for Alfred's strong grip, he would have trip and made a scene.

"Are you alright?" Alfred giggled a little when he saw the smaller boy trying to keep up with his steps. He liked it when he saw Kiku blushed with embarrassment and shyness while clumsily following the waltz.

It was good that it was almost the end of the day when they finished their first dance. Arthur and Francis appeared from the dining corner and announced the party to be ended. The crowd stopped and bowed to their rulers before they get ready to depart. Alfred whined in protest but was not heard, all he wanted is to spend some time with Kiku. And now he was standing along with his parents and brother and Natalia thanking and bidding goodbye to the guests who attended the castle's grand event. He could notice the bored expression on Natalia's and Matthew's face, though Matthew tried to be patient as always. He sighed, how he wished to slip out from the crowd and go to the gardens to enjoy some last moments before the end of the day of his birthday.

"Master Alfred?" Kiku suddenly appeared behind him and placed a hand over his shoulder. Alfred turned around to face him with a shrug, as if asking him something. "C-Can you come over... M-Meet up with me in the garden later?" He asked sheepishly, fingers fiddling with his dress shirt.

Alfred perked up a bit at the little invitation and went to whisper in Kiku's ear as quiet as possible, "No need to wait, we can go now." Kiku blushed at such close contact with the boy. "B-But Alfred... You need to..." Alfred cut him off before he could say another word. He then grabbed Kiku's hand and sneaked away while the rest were not looking. Hiding in the shadows while avoiding the crowd, the duo made their way out of the castle into the garden.

Once they were in the garden, Alfred let Kiku led the way. The smaller boy held his hand and led him to the center of the garden. When Alfred saw the thing before his eyes, he couldn't help but gasped aloud. In the middle of the garden, laid summer flowers of assorted colours and varieties forming a maze that allowed them to walk among the flowers. There were roses, chrysanthemums, geranium, delphinium and so much more that he can't even name it. "S' sooooo beautiful!" He exclaimed and went to look at them one by one.

"I'm glad you like it, Master Alfred." Kiku said with a little smile on his face.

"I said don't call me that. We are friends and we don't need those thing." Alfred said and he pulled Kiku together into the middle of the flowers. He then pluck a blue rose and placed it above Kiku's right ear, causing the servant to blush. "You look good on that." Alfred giggled a little, "Thanks for the gift, I really like it." Kiku just smiled and the two of them gazed into the night sky.

"Alfred..." After a moment of silence, Kiku voiced his thoughts, "What do you think of me?" Alfred was puzzled at the moment but then a smile quickly regained on his face and he went to cup Kiku's face in his hands. "I like you... More than a friend..."

Upon listening Alfred's answer, Kiku's heart almost skipped a beat. He could feel Alfred's heart beating at the same rate with him. The black hair boy looked into Alfred's eyes, the shades of blue was brighter than anything in the dark garden and there was something deep inside them that he couldn't help but fall for them. Alfred was so immersed in watching Kiku's pale skin glowed in the faint moonlight that he did not know that he was closing their distance. By the time he realized it, he had captured Kiku's lips and for once he felt a new kind of feeling welled in his stomach.

Embarrassed, the two quickly broke their lips apart for air. After regaining himself, Alfred smiled like a foolish idiot as he went to help Kiku up, "Let's go back. It's getting late and cold here." Kiku accepted his hand and the two walked hand-in-hand back into their rooms.

Alfred returned back to his room to find his brother already fast asleep in bed cuddling his plush teddy bear with him, probably having a sweet dream in his sleep. He quickly changed out to his nightwear. Just before he slept, he gazed out of the window once more. His eyes wandering the now slumbering city, seeing the moonlight illuminating the sea, the mountains and the plains. He looked at the quiet streets and thought of what he had done today. And finally, his eyes trailed to the garden where he could have the perfect view of the blooming flowers from his window and smiled a little at the thought of Kiku. Many things happened today. For the first time, he saw the outside world with his own eyes, met so many people and having such huge events in the castle. But most of all, it was his first time being a hero saving Kiku, confessing his feelings and relishing his first kiss with Kiku, something so nice to be remember. He walked to his bed next to his twin and crawled under the sheet. His head hit the pillow and soon he was fast asleep with a smile on his face.

xXx

I really hate writer's block. . This should have been done and uploaded by the previous week if it wasn't because of this. For some reasons as well, I don't feel like enjoying my semester break at all, not in the mood for it. I just wanna get something to entertain myself.

And so, I'm back with a longer chapter this time. Hope you all would like it. Ivan and Yao has revealed their feelings for each other, so does Alfred and Kiku. At the same time, there's a little foreshadowing. Can you all guess the young man who danced with Natalia? It's worth a shot if you squint. After all, this young man will made his debut and appearance in the future chapter, be sure to look out for him.

Oh, and have you noticed the last name I had given to the Italy twins? In a certain previous chapter, someone mentioned that the twins are half-blood, like Francis (half commoner, half royalty). And their mother is actually the younger sister of Francis' mother, which makes them having the last name of Bonnefoy. You would wonder why I made them be a girl. In future chapter, I might made some omake featuring other characters which will explain everything in it.

Can I have some reviews please? It has been a while and my review box has been vacant for so long and needs to be filled so badly. I just want a little piece of something from someone to cheer me up and give me the motivation to write better and update the story faster. :]

Reply to previous review (I forgot to do it on the last chapter~):

**Otakuno1**: I'm glad that you enjoy reading Kari Kurofai's story. The original author and I are willing to let you share and translate this story into other language as you wish. I hope you would enjoy reading this and continued to support this story.

**Tsuxken**: Thank you for reading the story and I'm glad you enjoy reading it. Starting from the previous chapter will be my part, with a little of the plot being contributed by the original author. I hope you will like it (Even sometimes my grammar sucks and my writing style differs from her) and enjoy reading this story with every fibre of your being.

Don't forget, a review a day makes up my day. ^^


	11. Chapter 10

**Warning: Character death, blood and violence in this chapter. Read at your own risk.**

**One Last Fairytale: Sleepsong**

_Kiku knew that something was not right the moment he woke up from his slumber. Nervously, he glanced around his room but saw nothing, which made him pondered if there was something nagging him. _

_Without wasting much time on his thoughts, he quickly got out of bed and changed out his clothes. There is a list of work to be done today._

_As he made his way downstairs, he couldn't help but feel something chilling tingled on his skin. He scanned his eyes warily around the empty castle walls. For some feeling, he felt as if the walls were shaking. On cue, he heard a loud bang coming from other side of the castle. He turned around, trying to search for the source of the sound and sprinted towards that direction._

_He ran down the hallway, ignoring the destruction taking place in the castle. Kiku then found himself standing before the room of the young princes and opened it, only to find Alfred lying dead on the bed, murdered. He just watched at the corpse helplessly and gulped down an uneven breath, seeing death at such age was too much traumatizing._

_Without any choices, he left the room and ran off in search for an escape route. He found himself catching up with his brother, who was helping Matthew and Natalia to safety. Yao was about to climb up to safety when something clung onto him and he was pulled down to the eternal darkness. Kiku screamed and dived for his brother, only to find his hands stained with blood..._

Dark brown eyes opened wide, Kiku jolted from his slumber and sat upright on bed, cold sweat clinging onto his nightshirt while he was trying to regain his breath. Yao saw his younger brother terrified expression went to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Having a nightmare again, aru?" Yao asked in concern. Kiku just nodded while wiping the tears off his cheeks. "Is it about the Old Northern Kingdom again?" Kiku shook his head as a reply, before answering, "It's a bit... different with that... but again something similar..."

Yao sighed and ran a hand on the boy's hair. He knew it was hard for a boy to take such horror scene. "Just... Forget about it, aru." He wasn't going to ask Kiku about the details, since it was too much for a child at such young age to handle such dreams. But then, he was still worried. "Hurry up, we got work to do." He reminded Kiku before walking out of the room, leaving a dazed Kiku in his wake.

* * *

For some reason, Natalia refused to leave her room since this morning. Arthur woke her up from her slumber, as usual, that's the only time where he ever entered her room. He offered to carry her to the twins' room, but she refused to leave her bed, which worried Arthur. But he decided not to ask since she had the habit of keeping everything to herself alone. Later, he has not seen her leaving her room, not even during breakfast time. Kiku carried her breakfast tray to her doorstep but no progress was made to enter the room. Her sudden change in behavior worried Arthur, since when has this girl began to behave like Ivan?

It was just a week after the twin's birthday and things seemed to have gotten back to the normal routine. Antonio had brought the two princesses of Southeast Kingdom back, saying he had some stuff to handle in the kingdom. The only one left were Roderich, Elizaveta, Vash and Liech, who agreed to stay a little longer for political reasons. Gilbert would then hang around with Ivan, in hope they could spend some more time together for the time being. But then, Ivan would just left him in favour of Yao, leaving the albino prince in accompany of his younger brother, who appeared to be disappointed when the princess of Southeast Kingdom had left leaving him alone again.

Gilbert knew that something was going wrong today, from how he was feeling. As he dressed himself in front of the mirror, he could see his pale complexion and his gagging appearance. He tried to take a deep breath in hope to soothe his nerves, but his heart ached and clenched even tighter and he found it difficult to breath.

"Are you ready?" Ludwig asked impatiently from the door, seeming eager to have breakfast. "Ja, I'm coming, West." Gilbert faked a smile at his brother before walking out of the room. He took the younger sibling's hand in his and they began to walk down towards the dining hall.

As expected, Yao was at the kitchen preparing breakfast as usual with Kiku by his side learning how to cook. But what caught Gilbert's eyes was, Ivan was in the kitchen too, talking with Yao. Yao was busy making scramble eggs when he noticed the two princes. "Good morning, you two, aru. Have you slept well last night?"

Gilbert flashed another grin as he helped his brother onto a chair. "I have lots and lots of awesome dreams like usual, kesese..." He laughed nervously before asking Ludwig what he wanted for breakfast. After confirming their orders, he turned to Yao, "West and I want wurst and mash potatoes for breakfast today."

"Alright, just a moment, aru." Yao replied as he placed a bacon on Ivan's platter while Kiku was making the toast. Once he made sure everything was in order, he placed the tray on the table before Ivan. Ivan shone a creepy smile at him and Yao replied him back with a brief nod before turning back on his chores.

Once Yao served Gilbert and Ludwig their own platter, he and Kiku left the kitchen, having some work to be done. Ludwig ate his breakfast quietly since he was not interested being around with strangers. Ivan seemed to be taking his time as well, cutting his breakfast into tiny little portions before taking a bite, his eyes would then gaze afar as if he was dreaming something. Gilbert too, found himself not having any appetite to eat his food no matter how delicious it was. One reason was because of how he was feeling right now and it made him feel queasy and uneasy, the other reason was probably his concern over Ivan who has been acting strangely of late. He tried to start up some conversation with Ivan but it would ended up with Ivan ignoring him or the sentences just ended in less than ten words. Though purple eyes would met with those crimson eyes, the owner of the eyes did not seemed to acknowledge it as he quickly turned away as if nothing has ever happened.

Ludwig who seemed to sense the tense atmosphere in the kitchen quickly leave after finishing his breakfast, with an excuse that he has some private lessons to catch up. Gilbert watched his brother left the kitchen with a grateful nod. He then turned back to see Ivan fiddling with his bacon and felt as if he couldn't take it anymore.

"Just what has happened to you, Ivan?" Gilbert asked aloud, demanding answers from the younger boy. "What has been in your mind lately? You seem to isolate yourself from the people and cause trouble everywhere. What has happened to you?"

Ivan snorted and feigned ignorance at Gilbert's statement. "And you're being as annoying as ever." He said as he used a fork to poke at the egg yolk, the thin membrane broke easily and the yellowish liquid spilled all over the plate. "Why would you care about me? All I wanted to do is to do whatever stuff I want."

"You can do all that hell of stuff you wish to do, but don't you think this is a bit too much?" Gilbert retorted back and stood up. He then faced Ivan eye-to-eye, "I'm your friend and I do this because I care about you. Even if you shut yourself away from me or you don't accept me, I will still be by your side no matter what."

_But I already got Yao by my side_, Ivan thought in his mind. Part of him was glad that Gilbert was still by his side, but he was too stubborn to admit it since Yao had already occupied his mind. So he turned away and pretended not to care for him.

"Ivan, listen up." Gilbert added, "I don't care if you listen to me or not, but I will protect you at all cost. I will not let you suffer alone."

Ivan chuckled a little and placed his utensils on the plate. "That's an awesome thing you got there. I would have to thank you very much." He then faced back Gilbert with a calm expression, "I probably had feelings for you... maybe. If only you come into my life earlier..." He smiled an apologetic smile at the albino prince, "Unfortunately, I had some other people in my mind already, so I guess you came a little too late."

Gilbert could felt his heart sank when Ivan mentioned his previous sentences, but he wasn't going to show his weakness in front of him, not just yet. "I had expected that. But no matter what, I will still be by your side, to protect you from all troubles, just you wait and see. Someday I will proved myself worthy for you."

"Good luck, I guess." Ivan joked sarcastically before taking his leave. "You have to try hard if you want to win my heart." He said leaving the kitchen with Gilbert watching his back.

"H-Hey, where are you going?" Gilbert called out for him, "I thought we have swords practice session later."

"Oh, about that..." Ivan turned back to face Gilbert with a lazy look on his purple eyes. "Tell them that I don't want to do it today. I got something else to do."

"You can't do that!" Gilbert tried to reason to him. "That's improper and not awesome for a prince!"

"You too." Ivan mocked back, "If you're so determine to protect me, then you should practice instead." He gave Gilbert one last smile, which Gilbert could not comprehend before leaving the hallway. Gilbert just stood watching him left wordlessly. He vowed to himself that he will be stronger to protect the one he cared for.

* * *

At the other side of the castle, Alfred was banging on Natalia's door in hope she would open up. "Open the door, Natalia." He banged his fist hard on the door but received no response from the North Kingdom princess. "C'mon, Natalia. Let's go out and play."

"No, I'm not coming," was Natalia's muffled reply from the door. "You go play by yourself." She said as she sat hurdling herself at the corner of her bedroom. She can't help but felt as if someone was watching her. She shivered a little and covered her ears with both her hands in hope to chase away the voice that was distracting her.

"Why not? You usually come hanging out with us even though you're not joining us in a game." Alfred said, but the tense silence told him that Natalia was not in the mood to come out and do so.

Matthew came running down the hallway with his stuffed teddy bear. Arthur and Francis followed soon, seeming concern about Natalia's changes in attitude. "What's zhe matter, Alfred?" Francis asked knowingly. "Is something's wrong about Natalia?"

"She locked herself in her room since this morning." Arthur said, "I woke her up but she refused to leave her room after that. Kiku brought her breakfast, but she never open up to accept it, so he had to leave it at her doorstep."

"What's wrong with her? That's not like her at all." Francis exclaimed. Arthur just shrugged and gazed at the door which had become a barrier for them. For a moment, he did regret for not asking what was bothering Natalia, he noticed that she spaced off a lot recently. "I think it's something related to her prophetic nightmare or something. But she has never gone as far as to isolate herself like this."

"That means we won't be able to play with Natalia today?" Alfred whined. Francis smiled an apologetic smile at his sons while patting their heads. "I'm afraid so. You two can go out to the garden and play if you want. I bet Gilbert and Ludwig were also at outside, you can play with them." Though the boys were reluctant to leave without Natalia by their side, they knew that their parents were at their wits end to let Natalia out of her room and there's no way they could do to let her out, so they ran past the hallway and out of the garden so they can spend time playing outside. Once the twins were out of their side, Arthur and Francis tried again to persuade Natalia to come out of her own shell but she remained unmoving as ever. They both sighed in defeat and decided to respect to her decision and leave her alone for a while. Francis then left to join the rest who were at the garden. Arthur looked at the unbarging door before saying, in hope Natalia could hear him, "Natalia, even if you're not related by blood with me. I still love you and care for you as my own child. If there's anything you need, you can still tell us and we will always be by your side ready to help you, like a family." He then left the hallway in hope that Natalia would at least open up a little to them. Just when he thought about the last few words, _like a family_, he then wondered if he had done something wrong. It felt as if his family was tearing apart…

* * *

After having the dining hall cleaned up, Yao and Kiku would have to prepare lunch for the royal family residing in Main Hetalia castle today. Since King Arthur has specially arranged that everyone will be having lunch in the garden, so they have to get their meals ready and served them in the garden later.

Kiku was busy stirring the pot of stew they were to serve for lunch later. He then turned his attention at the garden outside where he saw Alfred and Matthew playing together, Ludwig was having some tutor from Elizaveta while Gilbert was practicing sword with Roderich and Vash. Liech was having tea with the rest of the adults. Ivan and Natalia were nowhere to be seen. For once, he was envious by the royalties' layback lifestyle. All he wants is just a little bit more fun time for his childhood surrounded with friends to play with. But then, Yao has reminded him again and again that he has to start learning about his work as a servant in the castle and how he was different with the other children. Kiku sighed in disappointment, knowing that there's no other way he could be together with Alfred because of their status, just like his brother and prince Ivan.

Once all the food were ready, Kiku was ordered by Yao to fetch a tray of lunch for Natalia who still kept herself locked in her room. Kiku knocked at her door but she did not opened it. Just like her breakfast time, all he could hear through the door was her muffled words, "leave it at the door…" He obeyed as what she said and placed the tray of food on her doorstep before leaving. He returned back to the kitchen to carry the second round of food tray to the royalties who were at downstairs. There were ten platters of food to be served to them and taking them were proving to be a challenge for his small size. Having no other choice, he had to carry the food tray one by one as he walked down the hallways and stairs until he reached the garden without tripping or toppling the food. Luckily, Yao was there to help and he can carry four stacks in a time, which came in handy for them.

It was until when he finally returned for the last round. There were only two plates left. One he recognized as Alfred's lunch plate not only because it is larger in portion and he also made an extra hamburger for Alfred in case Alfred got hungry.

"You take the other plate to those at the garden, aru." Yao told him as he carried the other tray in his arms. "This is for Ivan." He motioned towards the platter he was carrying. Kiku watched his older brother walked towards Ivan's room before stopping halfway and turning back to him, "You can have some free time after lunch hours." Kiku perked up at the permission his brother gave him. "Just remember to come back and do your work once Prince Alfred had gone for his afternoon nap, aru." Kiku's heart sank a bit at his brother's reminder. How he wished to take a nap with Alfred? But then, it was his job as a servant and Alfred will not like it if he did not do his job properly. After all, that little free time was something really worth it. With that in mind, he hurried out towards the garden to serve Alfred his lunch.

Alfred and the rest of the kids gathered around the dining table where the family will be having their lunch. As he saw his family began to dig into their food but his has not arrived, he got impatient and decided to go to the kitchen to get his food by himself. On that cue, Kiku appeared at the doorstep. The moment he saw Alfred running towards the door at his direction in pull speed, he cannot stop himself in time or avoided Alfred's incoming tackle. As a result, Alfred ran himself onto Kiku and the lunch platter the servant was carrying was thrown up into the air. Kiku almost tripped his footing and fell off the steps if it wasn't for Alfred. Alfred quickly caught hold of Kiku before he fell off.

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. His lunch tray fell from the air and headed back to the ground by gravity. Alfred caught it easily and scooped his meal that were being thrown into the air before they were crashed into pulp on the ground.

"Alfred, I know you are hungry, but you should at least be patient and wait for Kiku to serve your lunch. What if the food just now had gone to waste because of what you did, then you will never have anything to eat." Arthur came up behind Alfred and gave him a lecture, his scowl never leaving his brows. Francis came soon and patted Arthur's shoulder gently, "We can talk about that later. At least he managed to keep his food intact, we should finish up our lunch first." Arthur just huffed and led Alfred to the table and the royals continued to have their lunch.

While the royals were having their lunch, Kiku couldn't help but felt being out of place as he watched them having lunch. Seeing them eating such luxurious meal made his mouth water and his stomach growled even louder, how he wished to live such lifestyle, but then he knew that the possibility of having it is one out of a million and there's no way a servant is allowed for such luxuries. Well, at least he's counted lucky to work in the castle.

Once the royals had finished their meal, they allowed Kiku to clean up the table and sent the dishes away. The adults left their table and continued on with their discussion. The children scattered in the garden to continue their game.

Kiku sent the dishes back to the kitchen and cleaned them up. He looked his surrounding but caught no sight of his brother. Looks like he kept his promise, that's good. Now he had some free time, he can go find Alfred to play before it was his and Matthew's naptime. He made his way out to the garden again and saw the adults had gone. Gilbert must have followed them to practice swords fighting. He noticed the quiet, blond prince from the Western kingdom sitting under the tree reading some book, even Alfred and Matthew's noises cannot disturb him from his concentration.

At the other side of the garden, he could make out the two princes on top of a huge, shady tree. Alfred noticed Kiku and waved a hand at him, "Hey Kiku, come and play with us." Hearing Alfred's voice filled with eagerness made his heart jumped a bit and he couldn't even resist saying no, so he hurried to the tree and tried to climb but he couldn't take his hold on it.

Alfred giggled a little seeing Kiku's clumsiness in climbing the tree and decided to help him. "Here, hold my hand." He said stretching out his hand for Kiku. Kiku reached his hand and let Alfred lifted him off the ground onto the tree.

"How's work today?" Alfred asked Kiku with a grin on his face. "I hope you have a nice day today." He then presented the hamburger Kiku had specially made for him. "Save this for yer hard work. Betcha' hungry now."

"But…" Kiku paused, his stomach growling in hunger, "This is yours, Alfred." He shook his head in reluctance, deciding to betray his hunger. "I had already taken my lunch." He lied, but Alfred didn't buy it. "Quit lying, I know you didn't ate a thing since breakfast and it's not good to stay hungry, you cannot work later." He shoved the hamburger closer to Kiku, "Just hurry and eat up before it gets cold." Kiku looked at the food which he had spent time to make, only to get eaten by him, not the person he intended. "Won't you get hungry?" he asked. "Don't worry, I can eat later if I'm hungry, but you're hungry now." Unable to take it anymore, Kiku accepted Alfred's offer and began to munch on the food, letting the juice of the meat and crunchy veggies filled his stomach.

Time seemed to pass in a blur as he spent his time playing with the princes. Alfred showed off his climbing skills and often put Kiku at risks on falling off the tree. The trio then threw stones at the lake and splashed water at each other. By accident, Alfred splashed some water at Ludwig who got flustered when they wetted him and his book. Kiku felt sorry about it when he saw the West Kingdom prince left from the spot where he previously occupied to somewhere else more private. Alfred and Matthew ignored him and continued with their playing.

Kiku didn't remember how long they'd be playing. All he knew was he was enjoying the time of his life being with someone on his age. He remembered how Alfred smiled so vibrantly and naturally as a child and Matthew giggling about when they chased themselves among the garden. By the time they were tired, the trios flopped down onto the grass to rest while having their eyes fixed at the blue sky of endless boundaries.

"It would have been better if Natalia was here with us," Matthew said, "We could have so much fun."

"Who knows? She don't wanna come out of her room." Alfred yawned. As he locked his eyes at the sky as if his eyes colour were reflected from it, he began to dream about his future and his dreams. "You know what? Every time I see the sky makes me feel so calm, as if I can see what lies ahead of me."

Matthew turned around to face his sibling. "Oh? Then what did you see?" He asked in interest, "Did you see your future?"

Alfred continued on his daydream as he gazed into the sky, letting his mind takes him to elsewhere. "I dreamed of myself running freely in the outside world. I fly across the sea, run up mountains and be a great hero. Then one day I save someone from a devil and we fall in love, so we get married and live happily one another."

Matthew giggled a bit at Alfred's childish thought. "That was not bad either. When I grow up, I want to travel around the world to see lots and lots of things."

"Yeah, once we grow up, maybe papa and daddy will let us go on a journey. And we can see many beautiful things around the Earth. And maybe we can even find someone we love." Alfred continued to chirp happily dreaming about the future. He then noticed Kiku being strayed out from the conversation, so he decided to open up the conversation with him. "Hey Kiku, do you have any amazing dreams about the future?"

Kiku sat up a bit when Alfred called out for him. He looked at Alfred with a slight tinge of blush colouring his face before looking back at the sky. "I… I wish to find where I belong…" _And my prince charming_, he added secretly, too embarrassed to say it out loud.

"That's great!" Alfred exclaimed, "Perhaps you can join us together in our journey." The three of them laughed in unison. For once, Kiku thought that Alfred's smile looks cute and he seemed so happy. With that, he swore to himself that he will make Alfred smile.

"Boys, it's time for your naptime." King Francis and King Arthur called out for them. They went up to the kids and scooped the two princes into their arms. "I bet you all had a good time together, _non_?" Francis asked as he bounced Matthew on his arms.

"Yeah, and we even talked about our future." Matthew giggled as he hugged his stuffed teddy bear close to him. "Mattie and I are planning to go on a journey when we grow up." Alfred boasted his dreams aloud, "We're gonna have lots of fun outside."

Arthur smiled a bit as he carried Alfred. "That's nice, Alfred. But then, it's time you get some rest or you'll never have your adventure." Alfred pouted, but did not say anything as he was too tired from all the play just now. "Fine…" He said reluctantly and waved back at Kiku with a smile, "See ya later, Kiku."

Francis watched Arthur whisked Alfred away while he carried an already half-asleep Matthew in his arms. He smiled an apologetic yet grateful smile at Kiku. "Thanks for playing with them. That's not much of a trouble for you, _oui_?" Kiku just shook his head before saying, "I was given some free time to play with them."

"Zhat would mean you have work later. I know you're trying to fulfil your job but it's good to take a rest sometimes if you get tired, just don't overwork yourself, okay?" Kiku nodded back at the king. Francis just smiled and carried Matthew into the castle so he could put the prince to nap on bed. Kiku watched as their shadows faded into the depth of the castle before he headed in as well, to continue with his work. Yet, he never knew this will be the last time he saw Alfred's childish smile and Matthew's identical face.

* * *

Yao was surprised to find Ivan's room being empty. He left the tray of food on his table while going out to find the prince. What surprised him even more was he found Ivan hiding amongst the bookshelves in the library reading some sort of books. Yao couldn't help but smiled, it was rare to see Ivan being this studious. Usually, the elder prince was seen to skip his classes and training lessons.

"Ivan, it's a surprise to see you in here, aru." Yao said, his voice with a hint of delight. "I thought you should be having swords practicing session with Gilbert, aru."

Ivan threw him a childish smile and took another book from the shelves. "I'm not in the mood for that now."

"You can't just go on and skip your lessons like that. Your skills will become rusty." Yao tried to reason with him. "Moreover, I thought you enjoy having Gilbert as a company so why are you not going to joy him?"

"He's being an annoying mother hen recently." Ivan shrugged it off, "All I want is some peace and quiet."

"Maybe you should go find Natalia, aru." Yao made a suggestion. "She has locked herself up in her room since this morning. Nobody knows what's in her mind."

Upon hearing Yao mentioning Natalia, Ivan's eyes widened and he stared at the servant in fear. "I will never go and find her myself." He swore to himself. "She was the scariest sister I have ever had."

"And you're a bad big brother to leave her alone." Yao added and chuckled.

"Kolkolkol…" Ivan made his signature creepy smile that sent shivers down Yao's spine. "You're a naughty one, Yao…"

"Aiyah… Ivan, forget about it…" Yao said trying to change the topic, "Let's go back to your room… I have made lunch for you…" He then tried to force the bigger boy to stand up and made his way out of the library.

A creepy smile crept up Ivan's lips and he said in a creepy tone, "No… I want to eat you, Yao." _Aiyah, not this thing!_ Yao thought silently to himself. "Ivan, I had work to do, aru." Yao made an excuse in hope that Ivan will buy it. "You can still do that after we finish our lunch." Ivan said, licking his lips.

Yao sighed and surrendered himself to the prince. Ivan took some books with him and they walked back to his room. While walking by the prince's side, Yao sneaked a peak at the stack of books the prince was holding. He could catch some of the titles, most of those were story books as he could tell.

Ivan led Yao back to his room. Once they entered the room, he locked his door and placed the stacks of books on the table. He spared a glance at the tray of food placed on the table. He could hear his stomach growled and his mouth watered at such delicious-looking food but he pretended not to see it and turned back to face Yao.

"W-What do you want, aru?" Yao asked nervously backing off onto a corner.

"I already said it. I want to have lunch with you." Ivan insisted, edging closer to Yao until the servant boy shrunk onto a corner. He then used his hands to grab hold of Yao's shoulders to make sure he won't run away. He then pressed their lips together before he continued to trail down Yao's neck, licking at the scar where he had left on the servant's sensitive spot the other day.

"Ivan… I'm just here to send your lunch, not to do this…" Yao moaned a bit.

"If that's so, then why you have to go through all the trouble to find me in the library?" Ivan retorted back.

"You're as cunning as always, aru…" Yao could only make a hopeless sigh as he let Ivan's hands explored his body. "Why would I ever care and love you in the beginning?"

"Because it's true love," Ivan smirked. "Too bad that we have to keep ourselves low so as not to be noticed. If it wasn't because of your little brother's sake, we could have run away already and live our very own life."

"Don't say that…" Yao suppressed a moan as Ivan made his hands up his legs. "Kiku is still so young and there's still a lot of things to learn before he can finally managed on his own, aru."

"Fine, I will wait for the time when you'll be mine and only mine." Ivan then turned Yao around. He then licked Yao's ear shell and kissed on his collarbone again while his hands began on his work.

Yao had to lean on the wall for support as Ivan undone his clothing, forcing him bare from his waist and below. He could feel Ivan's strong hands gripping on his balls, fingers curling around it and teasing it. "Suck it." Ivan then brought up one of his hands to let Yao licked his fingers that were coated with precum. Yao did it obediently, feeling Ivan's skin with his own tongue. When Ivan thinks it was wet enough, he then pushed a digit into Yao's entrance, causing Yao to gasp in both pain and surprise. Slowly, another digit was added in it, scissoring the tight ring of muscle as Ivan tried to adjust his lover. Seriously, Yao was always so tight no matter how much time they had done.

"Ivan…" Yao moaned in pleasure as a third digit entered and hit a bundle of nerve fibres in him, sending shock waves of both pain and pleasure. On cue, Ivan removed his fingers from Yao's body. "Ivan… I need you…" Yao pleaded, his golden eyes full of lust.

"Then let me give you something bigger," Ivan smirked, his pants were pulled off and revealed his large member standing erectly full of precum. He then thrust himself deeper into Yao's entrance, filling him and hitting the sensitive spot where gave Yao the heaven of pleasure. Yao grasped the wall harder, his knuckles turning white while he moaned and gasped in satisfaction.

Soon enough, the two of them laid on bed, exhausted but content. "As naughty as always…" Yao managed between gasp of breath as he snuggled with Ivan. "And you're as erotic as always." Ivan smirked and enveloped him in a hug. He then kissed Yao full on the lips, making use of Yao's gasp to enter into his cavern, tongue exploring in his lover. Yao would try to gain dominance by fighting his tongue against Ivan's. His tongue slipped past the other and entered Ivan's mouth, finding the scar he once left on it. "Mark it…" Ivan voiced between his breaths while trying not to bite Yao's tongue. "Prove something that I belongs to you…" Yao obeyed his words, sinking his teeth deeper into Ivan's gum, letting it bleed and making the scare deeper than before.

They pulled off when their lungs were in urgent need for air. Ivan rolled beside Yao and hugged him protectively at the waist, kissing his cheek. Yao just smiled a tired smile. Ivan gazed his sight far away as if thinking something before he spoke up, "Once upon a time, there was a prince in a certain kingdom. Since young, he was taken care by a young beautiful servant about the same age as he." Yao listened intently as Ivan created his own story. "When the servant grew up, she has become a beautiful young lady, so beautiful that not even the ladies of the nobility can rival her. Eventually, he prince fell in love with her."

"That's a cheeky story, aru." Yao giggled a bit. "When have you followed Francis? And you're changing me as a girl as well?" In response, Ivan nuzzled with him before replying, "Just an imagination, what we wish of in the future…"

"However, a prince is not allowed to marry a servant as mentioned by the law of the kingdom. This is because the servant's position and status will bring shame to the prince. The prince was sad that his parents did not approve of their relationship."

At this point, Yao helped him continued the storyline, "But because the servant was so loyal to the prince and she devoted herself entirely for the prince. And the prince being so much in love with the servant that he was not willing to let her go, knowing that he can only love her. So, one night when everyone is fast asleep on a full moon night, the prince and the servant sneaked out of the castle. They escaped the guards' eyes and made their way out of the castle boundary. They fled all the way into the village, the woods and were never caught. The prince and his beloved servant girl finally get married, have children and they live happily ever after."

"Oh Yao, when can I have my happily ever after?" Ivan asked once Yao finished his story. Yao hugged Ivan, "When the time comes, you'll find your answers, aru. Even if that person is not me, you will still have your happy ending, I promise." He smiled a weak smile at Ivan. Ivan noticed the distress on Yao's brow but decided not to ask about it. He was determined to have Yao by his side, insisting that Yao will be his destined one.

"Aiyah, what was the time now?" Yao suddenly jumped out of bed and looked at the clock, noticing it was almost three o' clock, he has to go back to work. "I have to go back to my work, aru." He said quickly dressed himself.

"Yao, don't go." Ivan whined as he grab hold of Yao's arm but Yao released it from his grasp. "Ivan, I'm sorry but I have work to do, aru." Ivan's brow twisted in disappointment. Yao sighed, his heart softened a bit, "But I will come back for you later tonight." He added, in hope not to make Ivan felt sad.

Ivan just frowned and pouted as he saw Yao quickly dressed himself up and hasty left his room. Now he was alone again, with nothing to do except for reading a pile of books. He stood up and dressed himself up, before hearing his stomach complained. He's hungry, the activity just now had worn him down, so looks like that will not quell his hunger at all. He spared one glance at his tray of food Yao has left him earlier. It has gotten cold from the long-time of exposure but he couldn't care less and began digging into his lunch.

Ivan finished his lunch quicker than he had expected. Since he wasn't in the mood to sleep right now, he thought it would be a good idea to have a walk at the garden to have some fresh air (he hasn't done that for quite a while), so he went to change out his clothes for something more suitable. He was about to exit his room but then ended up banging onto someone just as he stepped out from his room.

"Ugh…" The person he banged onto recoiled back onto the floor and held his head. Ivan quickly went to pick up the boy, "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

"Oh, it's you, Brother Ivan." Alfred pushed himself off the ground and smiled a childish smile at him.

"I thought you're supposed to have your naptime." Ivan questioned, "Do you sneak out again?"

"But I'm not tired," Alfred whined, though he yawned after that. "It's just… I don't wanna sleep…" He said quietly.

Ivan frowned a bit before began talking like an adult. "That's not good for you. Little children like you need a lot of sleep so that you can grow up to be strong." He tried to advise the seven-year-old child, but Alfred laughed at Ivan's attempt to be mature. "You don't even look like a grown-up, so how can you behave like one?" Alfred mocked at him, "Who do you think you are, my father?"

Purple aura began to glow around Ivan, "That's not a good thing to talk like that." He said, which caused Alfred to quiver in fear. "Didn't your fathers teach you to respect your elder?" He questioned, Alfred whimpered a little and shrunk onto a corner. Ivan was about to continue torturing the child with a mountain of questions but when he caught sight of the tears and fears blinking in Alfred's innocent sky blue eyes, he started to feel guilty. _You are talking to a child_, he reminded himself and he must be patient when it comes to handling a child and he had stepped out of its boundary.

With a gulp, the creepy aura surrounding Ivan vanished and he tried to smile a gentle smile at the younger boy. "I'm sorry, Alfred. It's just a joke, don't take it too serious." He tried to convince the younger boy. Upon hearing his gentle tone, Alfred softened a little and stopped sobbing. "Come Alfred, do you want me to read you some stories?"

"Really?" Alfred perked up hearing his older brother's question, the fear that was once in his eyes disappeared and was being replaced by childish excitement. "Of course," Ivan smiled back at him and led Alfred into his room. He let the boy sat on his lap, one arm warping securely around the little boy while the other rummaged through the piles of books in search for some story Alfred would probably like.

* * *

After his break time was over, Kiku's next task is to clean up Natalia's room, which would be much of a trouble since everyone has a hard time persuading Natalia out of her room. He wondered if he will succeeded in getting Natalia out of her shell. His brother was nowhere to be seen, probably he was doing his chores somewhere in the castle.

A small sigh escaped from the lips of the little servant as he thought about what lied before him in his future, there's no way he could have such a dream with a _happily ever after_ ending like what Arthur had said. It knew it was for the sake of the children, but growing up always made reality sank in deeper into your mind. He was born into this after all, days of endless cleaning, scrubbing, cooking food for those of the upper class as if he was the one to support everything at its base with nobody would appreciate it. It's not like he's wishing for anything, but he just want a little indulgent that can at least give him some happiness that everyone deserved to have it. But why his yearning was always being left unheard and go unnoticed by the rest. He's just a servant after all, and servants are taught to obey those of higher ranking than them but with no right to judge whether their action is right or not. The only time where they were being noticed is when their master needed them to do something.

He soon found himself reaching the doorsteps of Natalia's room. Kiku tried to turn the door knob but it won't bulge, so he resorted to knock the door. "My lady," he said, trying to be soft and patient, "Open up, I'm here to clean your room."

There was a moment of silence, until the door was opened, slightly ajar. Behind the doors, Kiku could make out Natalia's blue, almost purple eyes appeared at the gap. Kiku tried to smile at her to reassure that it was nothing. "I… I'm here to… t-to clean your room…"

"You may come in…" Natalia said, her voice as cold as ice, but she opened her door anyway. She was well-dressed as usual, but Kiku could notice something anxious in her eyes which he decided not to press about it. With cautious steps, he stepped into her room and placed the bucket and cleaning stuff on the floor. She paid him no attention and went to sit on her bed gazing out of the window.

"Don't you think you should go out to have some fresh air, my lady?" Kiku tried to open up with her while being polite and cautious. Natalia looked at him and shook her head before using her hand to sweep away her long silvery blonde bangs. "Not in the mood to do so."

Kiku stopped his work halfway before looking at her with concern, noting her hoarse voice. "Do you need anything that I can help you?"

Natalia tried to silence him with a glare but the servant boy seemed to remain as calm as ever, as if his expression can never change. "I'm fine… And I don't need you to hel…" She paused halfway as she felt something gagged up in her dry and sore throat, she tried to ignore it but the dryness caused her to choke and cough. Kiku saw this immediately went to help her, "A-Are you alright?" He gently ran his hand over her back in hope to soothe her. "Why don't I go and get some water for you, is that ok?" Natalia just nodded in the midst of her coughing fit. Kiku left the room quickly to the kitchen to fetch her a glass of water, trusting her to wait for his return.

Not too long after Kiku has left, Natalia managed to control herself and stopped coughing. For once, she did regret locking herself in her room, which caused her to have a sore throat. She leant a bit on her bed post while trying to even her breathing. She could feel something jostling inside her, causing her to shiver. She opened her eyes and scanned around the room but see nothing. What she felt, however, was way different to what she sees. She closed her eyes again and focused, blood in her veins rushing like river and her heartbeat increased in pace. She knew something was wrong, and it was coming… to them!

The moment when she reopened her eyes, she felt the castle walls are shaking… No, the entire castle was shaking. All of a sudden, she heard a loud banging sound from the other side of the castle, followed by a crash and a screech. She quickly looked out from the window and noticed bits of smoke and fire razed up into the sky from a corner. She cannot make it out where it was but from the loud scream echoed from far away, she knew it was not something good.

"Get in there!" She heard someone shouting with a gruff voice. From the opened doors, she saw shadows of several men, big in size with weapons in their arms coming towards her way! Natalia managed to gasp before she jumped from her bed and scurried off behind the door.

"Lady Natalia, here's your wat…" Kiku suddenly appeared at her door with a glass of water. She quickly grabbed him and pulled him close to her while clamping his mouth shut. Kiku was shocked by the sudden reaction that he let go of the glass of water. He wanted to release himself but from how Natalia was reacting, it was better to keep himself quiet.

"I saw someone ran into this room just now!" One of the men said and the two kids could hear footsteps approaching the door. Both of them hold their breath, too afraid to make out a voice.

All of a sudden, something was being thrown into the middle of the room and landed with a 'thud' on the floor. Natalia only managed to catch a glimpse of that object before it was let off, filling the room with white fumes. Natalia choked a little when the smell invaded her nose, knowing this was not some ordinary white smoke but poisonous gas! She clamped Kiku's nose and mouth tight while holding her breath. She quickly led Kiku into her cupboard as the smoke billowed the space, making their hiding easier. Once they were inside the wardrobe, she quickly shut the doors to prevent any smoke from entering.

"There's nothing here, let's get goin'." Once the mist was cleared, they heard the footsteps fading away into a distance. Natalia let out a breath of relief, glad that they managed to get away with it. Kiku exhaled and relaxed a bit, letting the tears streaked down his cheeks, not that he cared.

Even though they were in the closet, Natalia could still make out the bombing and clanging of metals from the other side of the castle. The images of her nightmares came into her memories, remembering both she and Kiku being attacked when hiding in the closet. They may have escaped, but there were still more coming for them and it was not safe to hide in here forever.

"Kiku, quick!" She said, grabbing hold of Kiku's hand. "We have to get out of here as fast as possible." Before Kiku could even regained his breath, Natalia had pulled him out of the closet and headed out of the room to whichever place she thinks is safe.

* * *

Gilbert resumed back to practicing his sword alone after lunch hour. The adult have gone somewhere in the garden for their little gathering while the younger children were playing elsewhere. For a moment, he stopped his practice halfway to catch a little break. He then noticed his younger brother sitting under the tree not too far away from where he was practicing, seemingly interested in his combat training. When had he come here? He didn't remember West being here before.

"Hey west, I thought you should be having fun with the rest of the kids." Gilbert walked up to his brother side to talk with him. The younger blonde looked up at his older brother with piercing blue eyes. Ludwig was quite a different child since his young age. Being a child, he was unusually quiet that his father had never heard him spoke anything at all. At first Gilbert assumed it was because of West feeling uncertain and insecure. But as time goes on, it wasn't as simple as he thought. "I take it that you don't like being around those kids, is that right?" Ludwig darted an eye at his older brother before nodding.

Gilbert understood what the child wants. He was quite surprised when he found out that his brother gained interest on a certain young lady from a certain kingdom. Not like he can help much, but then he promised his father to watch him grow up into a man. Gilbert just patted Ludwig's shoulders gently, as if trying to reassure him. _Well, at least he behaved better than I am_, he thought to himself. "It's alright if you choose not to tell me but I will always support you no matter what. If you feel the need to seek help, I am always ready to help you."

Gilbert then went back to the spacious grassland of Main Hetalia castle garden to resume his training. He was about to continue his practice when he could feel the castle ground was shaking. Crimson eyes darted around the corner uneasily, knowing that something wrong was happening. He turned around when he heard the rustling of leaves not too far from him, just in time to notice a soldier running towards him with a sword. From what he was wearing, Gilbert knew he was not a Main Hetalia soldier, nor a soldier from any of the kingdom and that could only meant one thing, trouble!

The man raised his sword to attack Gilbert but Gilbert quickly defended himself with his own sword. That man was stronger and more skilful compared to him but Gilbert refused to let in and showed his weakness, so he tried to hold himself from being pushed back while finding an opportunity to attack. Suddenly, there was a scream and he quickly whipped back in head to see another man had come and grabbed Ludwig. "West!" He called out and spilt his attention. The man who attacked him used this as a chance to attack. Gilbert managed to regain his posture and wounded his hand in order to block the attack. Eyes filled with anger, he slashed his sword at the man who attacked him. The man was taken by surprise as blood splattered his face and body, before his body gone limp and rolled onto the floor motionless. Gilbert could care less about the dead man as Ludwig is his first priority. "Let go of him!" He yelled at the man and lunged his sword deep down into the soldier's throat. Blood spilled all over the place and Ludwig watched in horror as brother had killed a man.

"West, are you alright?" Gilbert asked Ludwig, but Ludwig inched away from his brother, too horrified to see blood on his brother's face. Gilbert noticed his brother's expression and as he let reality sank in, he had just killed a person… No, two people, two people who threatened to kill them both. Something must have happened, his mind soon thought about Ivan, whom he vowed to protect with his entire being.

Slowly, he closed his distance with Ludwig. Ludwig didn't show any protest when his brother grabbed him gently by the shoulder. "Listen west, I-I can explain that later… But now, we're in trouble." The moment he said, he noticed part of the castle wall collapsed and Ludwig flinched as the stone wall came roaring down. "We have to run to safety!" He grabbed Ludwig's hand and they began sprinting among the bushes in order to hide themselves from being spotted by the invading soldiers. He led Ludwig until another corner of the garden where there's a shed and quite oblivious to be noticed. Not safe enough, but Gilbert was confident enough that the enemy will never discover this corner that is so well hidden among the garden bushes. "Stay here, don't come out unless it's someone you know." He informed Ludwig. Ludwig was scared to be left alone but knowing that his brother could be trusted, he could only pray that no one will notice him. "I will be back in a moment, just hide and don't get noticed!" Gilbert informed him as he ran towards the castle direction, determined to save Ivan from the troubles.

* * *

Ivan almost fell asleep in the midst of reading a story to Alfred when the invasion began. He was soon jolted awake by the sound of rumbling stones. "W-What's happening?" Alfred asked in panic, hugging Ivan tighter. Ivan looked out from the window to see part of the castle being caught on fire. He got panic and jumped off from his chair with Alfred on his arms. "This is bad! We have to run!" Ivan said as he hold Alfred's hand in his and began running out of the room down the hallway.

As they ran down the hallway, some soldiers noticed them and blocked their path. Alfred shrieked and hid behind Ivan as they were surrounded by strangers. Ivan backed off a bit, hearing some of them murmured, "The child from North Kingdom…" and another one, "… that brat of the traitorous crown prince… brings nothing but hell to the kingdom…" One of the men raised his sword at them, intending to kill them. Alfred screamed and turned away, not daring to see the scene unfold before him.

"Leave them alone!" But then, the cold metallic weapons did not come. All he heard was the voice of someone familiar. He peeked an eye open to see a boy almost the same age as Ivan with snow white hair and crimson eyes cutting down some of the men. "Quick! We have to get outta here!" Gilbert called out at them and led the way, Ivan and Alfred followed soon.

They ran down several flights of staircase, avoiding falling rocks on their way as the soldiers chased after them. Just when they were about to reach the exit, another group of soldiers arrived and blocked their path. "Quick, hide somewhere!" Ivan said and pulled the other two into a room. He led them to one corner of the room and pulled out a tile, revealing a secret underground passage way. "Let's go, this will take us to the garden." The trio entered the hole and closed it to prevent the soldiers from finding their exit and made their way in the darkness until they managed to find their way out from the tree hole.

That was when Alfred realized something. "Mattie! Mattie must be still inside there!" He jumped frantically. "We need to go and get Mattie or they will kill him!" He wanted to run back to the castle but Gilbert and Ivan hold him still.

"You can't go back, little one!" Gilbert said, holding Alfred. "But… But Mattie is still inside!" Alfred yelled as he tried to resist himself from their hold. "We are born together and he's my brother! I can't let him die or I'll have to die with him!"

"Alfred, stop it!" Ivan managed to calm Alfred's emotional outburst by holding both his hands at Alfred's cheek, making him eye-to-eye with Ivan. "I know you are worried about Matthew but it's dangerous to go back there. But believe me, Alfred, I'm sure Matthew will return safely, like how all fairy tales would end in a _Happily Ever After_." He reassured Alfred, which managed to calm the little boy for a bit.

"Really? Will Matthew really be alright and come back alive?" Alfred stopped crying and a little hope filled his voice and he looked up at Ivan, with glistened but innocent sky blue eyes. Ivan rubbed away the tears on Alfred's cheeks and embraced him into a hug. He couldn't help but softened a little at those innocent eyes that he would say sweet things in hope to soothe the boy. "I promised… Matthew will come out of this alive…" He hugged the boy close to his chest in order to comfort him.

Though the older crown prince remained calm in his expression, but he was worried inside. He wondered where Yao was now. Like Alfred, there's no way could go back into the castle to save Yao. He wondered where Yao would be by now, probably running in the castle hallways trying to escape from the soldiers. He could only prayed that Yao make it out safely, like that day when the North Kingdom was being invaded. Yao will be alright, right? He hold himself tight to that little faint wish of his.

* * *

Natalia and Kiku ran down several hallways, avoiding the soldiers who were slaughtering people in cold blood. Behind them, they could hear the steps of the mad soldiers coming towards them. Natalia turned her head back to see how far were the soldiers, only to trip on a step, causing Kiku and her to tumble down the steps. The kids picked up themselves and were about to continue running but someone had blocked their way.

The man was quite old for his age, wrinkles marked his skin and white hair and moustache covered part of his face. His cold eyes scanned over them menacingly, causing them to shriek and shrunk to a corner. His lips quivered a little and he mumbled several incoherent syllable like 'betrayer of the kingdom' and 'filthy bastard child'. His eyes darted back to them before commanding in a hoarse, cold and demeaning tone, "Kill them all! Kill all these bloody idiots and burn the castle into ashes. NO ONE, no one is allowed to leave the castle, ALIVE!" Those words were said as if directing towards Natalia and Kiku. "KILL THEM ALL!" The sounds of the footsteps approached closer and they knew that the soldiers were coming for them. Natalia quickly pulled Kiku into a sprint, continuing their route down to the hallway. They were about to make it to the exit but several bodies of the dead servants laid across the hallway, making crossing impossible. They quickly made a turn and headed into the kitchen, where Yao was removing some bags of flour from a cabinet.

"Kiku, Natalia, why are you two here, aru?" Yao asked, his expression calm but his eyes said otherwise. "You two should get out of the castle or they will kill you."

"But nii-san, the exit is blocked, there's no other way to escape." Kiku panted.

"Hurry up, they're over there!" Over the distance, they could hear the soldiers giving command. They were coming, and there was not much time left.

Quickly, Yao shoved the two children into the cabinet and began to load the bags of flour into the shelves as an attempt to cover them up. "Just stay as quiet as possible, then they won't find you in here, aru."

Kiku spared one worry glance at his brother in worry, "Nii-san, what about you? You need to hide too." Yao gave him a weak smile and gently nudged his head, "If you didn't die, then I won't too. Just… Just promise me to be a good boy… And do your work properly." Kiku didn't have time to say anything before Yao closed the cabinet door, he could not make out his brother's expression between the narrow gaps of the door.

Yao was trying to find somewhere else to hide himself just as the soldiers slammed into the kitchen. "It's him, get him!" There was a little chase in the room until the soldiers got Yao cornered. Yao covered their eyes and took in one last breath, the soldiers then raised their swords and began to slain him.

Kiku and Natalia gasped as they saw what happened to Yao through the gap of the door. Natalia quickly reached her hand to clamp Kiku's mouth to restrain him from screaming while she tried to cover the sounds of her breathing. They could hear one of the soldier coming closer to the cupboard and their heartbeat sped up. The cabinet door was thrown open abruptly. They would have screamed if they haven't get their mouth clamped. Luckily, the bags of flour covered them up perfectly.

"Just a poor, pretty little servant, there's nothing here." One of the soldiers said, "Let's go!" they left the kitchen but Kiku and Natalia were too afraid to make a move.

* * *

Meanwhile, when the first bombing resounded in the castle. It shook the adults who were having a little gathering at the garden. "What the bloody hell is that?" Arthur asked, his brows furrowing.

"The castle's on fire!" Liech screamed and pointed her finger at the part where smoke was billowing from. "N-No way, this can't be…" Francis words was cut short when he heard some commanding tone at the other side of the castle.

"The castle is being attacked!" Elizaveta exclaimed, "We have to stop them!" Roderich quickly hold her down as an attempt to calm her, "Stop it, we cannot act too recklessly."

Arthur then devised of a plan and told them, "Let's split the job. Francis and I will enter the castle to save the survivors and the kids who were inside. Elizaveta, Roderich and Vash will guard the surrounding and round up the kids while cutting down the enemies. Liech will stay here and help find the children, is that alright?" The four of them nodded their head and split off to their assigned job.

"Mon cher, are you sure you can handle this?" Francis asked as he and Arthur raced their way back into the castle. Arthur gave him a determined smile, "You have never seen me fight before but trust me, I'm actually better than you had thought."

They ran to one side of the garden where it was usually hidden by lush trees and bushes. They opened a secret doorway and made their way into the castle, where they came across several dead soldiers and servants on the floor. Each of them picked up a weapon from the fallen soldier and continued their way towards the kids' room. They checked through the rooms, all have been vacant but one, the twin's room. The door was slight ajar but the knob was broken, and blood can be seen splattered at the door and the wall. Arthur shivered a bit and felt his blood turned cold, "T-This… I-It can't be…"

Francis pushed the door opened and scanned the room. He then noticed the bed was covered in blood. Slowly, the two kings approached the bed and removed the blanket. Arthur almost screamed in despair as the scene before him unfold. Matthew, lying motionless on bed, his body was covered in blood and deep gash was on his neck. Francis felt his heartbeat stopped, why were people so cruel and malicious to take away people's life, even if that was just a poor, defenceless and innocent child? Tears filled Arthur's green eyes and his hands clenched into a fist as anger rose up to him. "I'm going to bloody kill the person who do this to Matthew!" He said as he made his way out. Francis tightened his sword and followed son, "Count me in, Cherie"

With newly found strength, the two kings began killing the soldiers invading their castle, slaughtering them without mercy. However, when they finally reached near the exit, the person standing before them almost shocked them. That man, Arthur seemed to recognize. Even though his appearance had changed, Arthur can still make out the dark green eyes of the man that was once filled with anger and hatred when looking at him. But now, those eyes were filled with bloodlust, coldness and insanity. The man that had once robbed his happiness so many time that causes a chain of unhappy history which robbed many people's life and parents from their children.

"F-Father…" Arthur managed to stutter out, Francis watched in disbelief. Arthur was convinced that his father was dead, but it was wrong after all, and Francis knew it. The king had escaped and survived through the incident.

The old mad King glared at them with eyes full of hatred. "That bastard… Not worthy to be my son…" He then took his sword and attacked them. Arthur and Francis fought him. In the process, he wounded Francis' arm but Francis managed to inflict damage on his leg and he stumbled onto the floor. Arthur soon found himself pointing his sword at his father, debating on whether he should kill his own father. "Arthur, kill him!" Francis called out, "This man has caused enough suffering. We don't want him to hurt anymore innocent people." Still, Arthur hesitated, his kindness tugging him. Part of him wanted to kill the man who almost destroyed his life but part of him reminded himself that this man was his father who raised him to be king.

A crooked smile appeared on the old man's face as he saw Arthur's weakness. "Idiot son, do you even dare to kill your own father?" He stood up with a throbbing ankle. "Better think properly or else you'll regret…" Francis wanted to strike at him but his injury had given him some difficulties. His legs gave up before he could even lay a hit on the man, but the old king had already jumped out from the window. Arthur knelt down on the floor as he broke down, particularly blaming himself for causing all this to happen.

* * *

At outside, Vash and Liech recovered the kids who was hidden at the garden shed. Roderich and Elizaveta slaughtered the invaders that were trying to escape from the castle, not leaving anyone left. Just then, Vash noticed a figure jumping out from the window. The three of them tried to give chase and kill the man but the man disappeared among the bushes, running out of the castle thought a hole. They won't give chase since they still had to recover the rest of the castle occupants.

Arthur and Francis came out from the castle not too long later, each carrying Kiku and Natalia with them. After the old king escaped, Arthur and Francis found Yao dead in the kitchen. They also found Natalia and Kiku huddling in the cupboard and now they were still in traumatic condition after witnessing Yao being murdered.

"Did you caught him?" Francis asked Roderich, the rest looked at him in confused. He then said in a low voice, "The person who led the rogue to attack the castle is Arthur's father…" The adults practically gasped at the news informed but then the old king wasn't among the dead bodies, so he must have escape and may return some other time.

After they had recovered and things had settled down, everyone was gathered in the garden as the children are informed about Yao and Matthew's death. Once the announcement was made, Alfred broken down into tears and cried, "Why?! Why Mattie had to die?" Ivan's hope shattered as he let the news sank in, knowing that his lover was dead. Gilbert tried to comfort Alfred while Ludwig watched helplessly as he tried to comprehend what had happened. Kiku and Natalia remained calm as usual but if you see closer you could notice tears glistening in Kiku's dark brown eyes while Natalia bit her lips to stop herself from crying.

"Dad, c-can I-I… I wanna see Mattie one l-last time…" After Alfred's little outbreak, Alfred asked permission to see Matthew but Arthur was not pleased with that idea. "Matthew is asleep Alfred… Just… he will not wake up anymore…" Francis spoke softly in hope to soothe Alfred and make him feel better. "He's happy, you know… He did not feel any pain at all…" He then reached a hand to gently pat Alfred's head, "Just don't go see him… If you see him, he can never sleep… And he will not be happy…" Albeit reluctant, Alfred obeyed his papa's words and decided not to ask further.

"Arthur, I want to see Yao, can I?" Meanwhile, Arthur had a hard time persuading Ivan. The child was stubborn and was not willing to take Arthur's words. Arthur understood how hurt the child felt but he couldn't find other words to comfort or persuade the boy to change his mind. In the end, he decided to secretly let Ivan in to see his lover for one last time.

Ivan walked to the table where Yao's cold, unmoving body was laid. His face was barely recognizable and scars and blood marked all over his body. Ivan couldn't help but winced at the pain Yao had suffered, he had failed to protect the person whom he loved. He gently ran his fingers over the beautiful servant boy's body, trailing his fine body until he reached his fair skin on his face. He looked like a porcelain doll, if it wasn't for the blood. An image flashed before him and he remembered Yao's slender fingers rested in the book _Snow Whit_e as he said, "_Especially this one. Remember how her life was saved, and why she was called Snow White_…" A _true love kiss_ was the answer, Ivan knew it. He loved Yao, so does Yao, so he can probably revived Yao from his eternal slumber if he planted this true love kiss on him. He took a deep breath and closed his distance with Yao. As gently as ever, he pressed his lips on Yao's soft cold lips. When he pulled away, he expected to see Yao opened his eyes smiling at him but to his disappointment, Yao remained as still as ever. There was no way he will wake up. Unable to hold his tears any longer, Ivan broke down sobbing while hugging the person whom he treasured and grown to love so much, only to be taken away once again…

xXx

Ooh, ;A; This was so sad that I cry several times when writing this, causing me to have some writer's block. Sorry for posting this thing late, I have a hard time on arranging the story sequences. The length of this chapter also exceeded what I have expected. This is another new record.

I feel so bad for the little ones there, especially Alfred and Ivan. Rochu is actually one of my top favourite pairing but since it's what the original author wanted it to happen, so I have no choice but to do so. But don't worry, Ivan, there's someone else for you, can you guess who? Feel free to give me your answers.

Anyway, I am so sad that I don't get any reviews ever since I started up my new chapter, you're all breaking my heart that I almost lost my will to continue writing. If you don't wish I discontinue this like the original author, please show some kindness and give me a little piece of advice or comment, little Alfie here is hurt and wants some comfort, so does Ivan…

I will have the next chapter update as soon as possible, university has resume and I missed my first class which makes the teacher gone mad. *_* And more things are coming to pressure me again, so please be patient. But you can make me update faster if you leave some review, then I will post it up faster. So, pretty please?

Chapter title is based on Sleepsong by Secret Garden. I don't own anything. Hetalia is owned by Himaruya while the story originally belongs to Kari Kurofai.


	12. Chapter 11

**One Last Fairytale: The Loneliness of Solitary**

"Alfred, open this door at once." Arthur knocked at the door for the hundredth time in a day. Yet, he received no response from the boy who remained locked inside his room for more than a week.

It has been a week since the tragic incident and the families were still recovering from the loss suffered by Main Hetalia. Matthew and Yao funerals were held not too long after the incident, their bodies now buried at the graveyard behind Main Hetalia castle.

Arthur was seriously concern about the children, Alfred and Ivan especially have been worrying as they kept themselves confined in their own room as if they have entered a sort of hibernation. Both children had been sort of entering a serious depression state, not willing to talk or come out of their room.

"Has he spoken a word, cher?" Francis came with Kiku by his side, holding a tray of soup to be served for the young prince. Arthur shook his head and sighed in defeat. "I guess he needs some more time to cool down before we can really talk to him." Francis went up to give Arthur a hug as a comfort. "Till when? It doesn't seems like he's giving up now." Arthur asked, deeply worried for their one and only son. Francis just hugged him tighter while letting a tear silently fall off his cheeks, "Someday he'll get over with it. He won't stay like this forever."

When the kings had walked away, Kiku came up to the doorsteps and placed the tray of food on the doorway. "Master Alfred, open up. I have brought you some food."

"Go away…" Alfred's muffled voice came out from the room, "I'm not hungry…" Kiku clearly knew that was a lie but didn't want to argue about it. He left the food on the doorsteps and leave the hallway.

* * *

Gilbert was also faced with the same problem but in a much complicated way. Gilbert knew that Ivan had a habit of shutting himself out from people but this kind of isolation was way colder than before. Before that, he would still receive some mischievous remarks from Ivan but now Ivan seemed to be as good as dead.

"Ivan, stop playing dead and get outta here!" Gilbert yelled through the doors. "You know you can't hide away from this forever! But this is reality, a cruel but the truth, you can't always live on in a false world." When there was still no reply, he finally got the end of it. "Just how long are you going to stay in that dream of yours?! You have to awake up and accept the truth no matter how painful it was."

This time, Ivan finally opened up the door and Gilbert winced at the sight of the boy. Ivan was not the Ivan he knew before. His hair and clothes tousled and messy. Red painted his usually violet eyes and heavy eye bags circled them, wrinkles can be seen on his skin. But most of all, his childish grin was no longer there but replaced by a deep frown instead.

"Are you enough with those?" Ivan asked irritatingly. "I had enough of you shouting at my doorstep."

Gilbert was not intimidated by the tall boy's demeanour. He went up to grab his shoulder, forcing him to face him eye to eye. "Listen up, how long are you going to live in that fake dream of yours? Just when are you going to accept the reality and move on? Everyone was worry about you!"

A sad smile appeared on Ivan's face before it faded again. "Why should I accept reality just when it was filled with so much sadness and lies and…"

"And pain." Gilbert continued the sentence from it. "And do you think that it is really that happy to live in that unawesome dream of yours?" He scoffed.

"I have no dream at all." Ivan said, "That dream of mine had died the moment Yao's dead. There's no other meaning for my life. After all, life is a foolish thing where you lose everything you treasure the most, leaving you alone."

"That's not it, Ivan. You still have a life ahead of you. Are you just going to let your life gone into waste?"

"I've told you. I have no more meaning to live in this world so I'm as good as dead, like Yao. I'd sooner join Yao rather than continue to suffer this painful life." Ivan said and turned his back.

"You'll lose all you have." Gilbert said, his voice was sad. "I already lost them all, what else do I still have?" Ivan ignored him and slammed his door shut at him, not willing to open up. Gilbert just stared at the barrier that had separated them apart, letting tearing sliding down his cheeks as his face was red with both anger and grief. "You may have lost them but you still have ME!"

* * *

As night crept up devouring the daylight, Kiku sat on his bed watching the full moon illuminating the city below. He was not in the mood to sleep. He missed his brother and his other playmate. Despite being sad, Kiku did a great job hiding his emotion, which is something unusual for a child at a mere age of eight. After all, no one would notice a servant and offer him any comfort, so he decided to keep it to himself while he mourned over their death by watching the moon.

He was alone now, as what his brother said to him. He was not afraid, but then he missed the smell of his brother that reminded him so much of the refreshing tea. He had no memories of his mother as Yao told him that mother died during the collapse of the Old Northern Kingdom and he was still an infant by that time so Yao was his one and only relative. Now he has finally understood how Natalia felt and behaved, it was painful losing someone you're close with but refusing to show weakness to the others.

As he gazed at the moon, he felt something wet drenched his nightshirt and cheeks. He reached his hand to his cheeks to find tears sliding down his face from his eyes. He never realised he has been crying. "Nii-san… Are you alright up there?" He sniffed a bit, "I hope you're happy being there." Another tear streaked down his cheek and he reached his hand to wipe it. "Don't worry, nii-san… I will live for your sake… I'll be a good servant boy and take care of everyone in the castle, just like how you did…"

He wasn't in much of a mood to sleep. He let out a sigh, pondering what should he do to spend some time during this late night. Since he still had some freedom with him for now, perhaps he should go outside the gardens for a little stroll. Slowly, he got up from bed and retrieved his robe before going out.

The garden was quiet as any other places in the kingdom. Kiku paced around the garden aimless, occasionally stopping for a while to admire the flowers that bloom at night. A cold breeze blew through the gardens, but Kiku ignored the cold outside. He continued to walk in the dark until he came into another side of the castle. This was Alfred and Matthew's chamber, though it now belonged solely to Alfred. The window was opened, had Alfred forgotten to close it?

Speaking about Alfred, he was worried about him. Alfred has not left his room since the incident, save the part when Arthur tried to comfort him the day after Matthew's death. He decided to check on Alfred to make sure he was alright.

Making sure that there were no guards around the area, Kiku climbed up the tree that was not too far away from Alfred's room. For once, he admired Alfred's skill on climbing, there's no way he could fall or trip when climbing the tree. Kiku found it hard to keep his balance when walking on a branch. It was a good ten foot above the ground! Slowly, he approached towards the end of the branch where he could enter Alfred's room, only to notice that there was still a good distance between him and the branch. He dared not take the risk, but there were no other choice. Taking a few steps back, he ran and jumped towards Alfred's window. He barely made it, with his legs reaching the window panel but he quickly lost his balance and was about to fall off. He would have screamed aloud if someone haven't come in time to grab his hand.

"Hold on," Alfred said as he used every ounce of his strength to pull Kiku up into his room. Once Kiku managed to crawl safely into his room, the prince quickly shut the window to avoid suspicious from any guards.

"What brings you here, Kiku? It's damn one o' clock in the morning." Alfred exclaimed. Kiku caught the slight irritated yet solemn tone in the prince's voice. As Alfred turned to face him, he was shocked to see the usually sky blue eyes coloured red and surrounded him black eye bags. His hair was in a mess. And his usually sunny smile was completely gone, with streaks of tears marking his cheeks.

"I-I was just worry about you…" The servant boy said timidly.

"Go away…" Alfred said coldly. "All of you are the same. You all said that you are worried about me but in the end you didn't understand me at all…"

"M-Master Alfred… Please stop this… We didn't mean to be like that… J-Just listen to me…" Kiku tried to reason with the prince but Alfred cut his sentence short.

"I don't want to listen any of your nonsense…" Alfred said in a cold demeanour. "Just get out of here, or do you want me to force you out?"

Kiku backed off a bit, shocked at what Alfred said to him. Weighing among the two options given, he decided to get out of here since there's no use talking to Alfred as he was so stubborn. "J-Just… take care of yourself…" Sighing, Kiku reached for the door knob and walked out from the room. He watched at the ornate doors that has prevented him from entering. Kiku sadly left the room to return back to his room, deciding he should help Alfred some other time.

* * *

The next day, things were as dull as usual. The castle seemed to have lost its liveliness. Everyone tried to behave as if everything was just as normal as possible but couldn't help with the tense atmosphere that was clouding the castle. The kings tried to make the two princes to come out from their room but failed again. Eventually, they have given up trying to persuade the boys out of their room. King Arthur seemed to get sadden by the sudden withdrawal of his sons' attitude but tried to hide it anyways while he wondered if he had done something horrible to them.

Kiku walked down the hallway with a tray of food on his hands. He had planned to deliver Natalia's food first but Natalia mentioned that she will go to the dining to get her own food so he ended up carrying Alfred's platter. He wondered what should he said to Alfred if he meets him and how will Alfred behaved towards him? The young servant debated on leaving the food at Alfred's doorstep or bringing it in, which he decided to do the later because he hoped to see Alfred and gave him some comfort. He gulped for a while, trying to calm himself from his nervousness before knocking on the door.

"Master Alfred, I-I had brought lunch for you." He said while gently knocking on the door but there was no reply, just as he expected. By logic, he's supposed to leave the tray of food by the doorstep but the stubborn part of him had gotten him. He was not going to give up until Alfred finally stepped out from his room. Adamantly, the servant went to twist the doorknob, surprised to find it unlocked.

"M-Master Alfred… H-Here's your lunch…" He stammered. The servant boy took a cautious step into the prince's room while carrying the tray of food, something he had regretted for doing it later on.

The prince laid on his bed too big for a single person with his face down. Kiku placed the tray of food on the table while he went to open the window to let sunlight and fresh air in. He then went to the prince's bedside and tried to get out of bed. "Master Alfred, it's getting late. You shouldn't be sleeping by now." Yet, the prince laid on the bed like a piece of log, Kiku shook him harder, determined to get the prince out of his room. "Master Alfred, it's a good day today. You should get out of your room to have some fun outside."

At this point, the prince get out of bed with a grunt. "So what, it's not like I'm getting out of my room." Alfred grumbled. "Then at least you should eat." Kiku tried to reason with him. "Who do you think you are, my mum?" Alfred asked annoyingly.

Kiku did not backed off, instead he approached the prince in a bold manner. "Stop behaving like that, Alfred. Do you know how much people were worried about you? You should just let the pass go and move on."

Upon hearing those words, Alfred sat up straight on bed and glared at the servant boy. "Do you mean that I should just forget Matthew as if he has never exist?! We were born together, we were brothers so we should die together!"

"A-Alfred, t-that's n-not t-the point…"

"What about brother Yao? Isn't he your brother too? Why can you act so calm even after he's dead? Don't tell me you already forget about it? Is that what you really mean about moving on? I will never do that, I can never ever forget my brother which means so much to me!"

"M-Master Alfred… Please… This is not what I mean…"

"I had enough of these! All of you said you cared for me, but in the end you don't. You all just practically force me to eat, told me to forget about it and live on. You are all just the same!"

Kiku looked into Alfred's pain-ridden eyes sadly. For the first time, he saw Alfred being so despair and loss of hope. "Have hope, Alfred. Don't you remember what King Arthur had said? Don't you remember all those beautiful stories your father told you? You still have your own _Happily Ever After_ waiting for you, so you must live on, live your life on Matthew's sake too."

The prince, however, got more agitated upon hearing those words. "Mattie… Mattie isn't dead! If… If you said I will have my _Happily Ever After_, then he will have it too… No way, this… This is not true at all! If there's such things like _Happily Ever After_, then why would Matthew…" He yelled back at Kiku in full force, "This is not true at all! You are all lying, LYING!"

"M-Master Alfred, s-stop it… L-Listen to me…" Kiku pleaded, but Alfred won't listen to him.

"Shut it all up. What everyone said are all lies, LIES! I hate you, I hate all of you!" Angrily, he pointed his finger at a despaired Kiku, "You are no longer my servant… I don't want to see you anymore. Get out of here right now!"

"A-Alfred… Please…" Kiku continued to beg, tears flowing down his cheeks but all his words did not register in the prince's mind as the blonde boy shoved him out of his door, out of his room. "I don't want to see you anymore. Get out! Get outta here!" Kiku watched in tears as Alfred tossed him out of his room and slammed the door shut at him.

"Kiku, what's going on here?" At that time, Arthur and Francis were coming to check on how Alfred was faring, only to find the poor servant boy weeping by the prince's doorstep. "Kiku, what happened to Alfred?" Arthur asked, concerned laced on his tone.

"M-Master Alfred… He… He shut me out… He don't want me to be his servant anymore…" Kiku whimpered with tears filled his brown eyes. Arthur went up to comfort the little servant boy while Francis gazed at Alfred's door sadly, finally giving up in persuading the prince to come out. He knew that it was hard for a child to accept their sibling's death but he never thought Alfred would turn into like this. The three left Alfred alone in his room, all in their wits end to make the prince happy again.

As his parents and Kiku left him to be, Alfred leaned himself on the door. The news slowly sank into his mind as he slid down onto the cold floor. Realization hit him that his twin brother was no longer here and he was all alone, alone. There will be no one to sleep next to him on bed, no one to argue and play with him and no one to be by his side when he was alone. And just recently, he had banished Kiku from his side, which means he was all by himself with no one by his side anymore, alone.

"Mattie… Mattie, why you have to die? It's so quiet… to be here alone…" The tears which he refused to shed days ago finally slipped down from his eyes down his cheeks. Alfred buried his face on his knees as he let himself cried shamelessly. It's okay to cry when nobody was watching, it's okay…

* * *

Gilbert fumbled with his travel clothes as he paced all around the room with his younger brother watching him but not knowing what to do. Things just happened too suddenly, too fast. He just received the news yesterday…

"What?! We're leaving, already?" Gilbert jumped in shocked when Roderich and Elizaveta delivered the news that they will be returning to the West Kingdom tomorrow. "Why so sudden? I thought we still have some time to go."

"We have been staying for quite a long time already and the kingdom still needs us to run." Roderich explained to them. "Moreover, from what King Arthur had requested, the castle of Main Hetalia will be close for several reasons."

Gilbert knew better than what Roderich was trying to say. The reasons must be the tragic incident that happened on the family which hurt the princes so much. King Arthur must have made a tough decision to keep the family away from the eyes of the public while giving his family some time to heal their scars.

"But…" Gilbert tried to interrupt but the look of Elizaveta silenced him as if she was saying, "If you ever dare to disobey us…" He backed off immediately and bowed his head, not in regret but in disappointment. "I'm sorry…"

On cue, Elizaveta seemed to understand what Gilbert was trying to say. She informed him, "Gilbert, don't forget the duties your father had entrusted on you. You are the heir to the West Kingdom throne and it's our job as your guardian to raise you to be the suitable ruler for the kingdom. I know you wish to stay longer but there are other things to be dealt with in the kingdom and you can't escape from your responsibility."

Those words were so heavy that it seemed to weight off Gilbert's shoulder. All this time he had spent his time in Main Hetalia in bliss while forgetting his work. And now everything was back like an avalanche, reminding him of his identity and role. He hated growing-up, something which a child would have delusional dream of innocence. But there's no way he could go against their wishes or what god made him to be. With a heavy heart, he silently bided his childhood and Ivan a farewell.

Elizaveta came into the Western princes' room, snapping Gilbert out of his thought. "Boys, please get ready. We'll be leaving in fifteen minutes." Gilbert decided to make use of his precious time rather than mopping around doing nothing. Slowly, he walked towards the door where Elizaveta stood.

"Gilbert, where do you think you're going?" Elizaveta crossed her arms at her chest, not going to let Gilbert slipped out without her noticing. "It's… nothing… It's just… There's someone I want to meet before leaving…" Elizaveta was about to protest but when she noticed Gilbert's expression, she decided to respect that little decision of his. It's seldom that Gilbert could behave this serious.

Gilbert ran down the hallway towards the familiar room he always visit whenever he was free. He squealed a little when Ivan's room came into sight. The door was as rigid as always, but then it was duller than usual.

"Hey Ivan, open up! It's me, Gilbert!" Gilbert called out while he knocked on the door. There was no reply, nor any response from the Northern prince. Gilbert knocked harder, as if he was going to break the door down. "Ivan, I just need to say something. I'm going to leave soon, so shouldn't you at least see me of?"

When there was still no reply coming from the room, Gilbert got impatient, and a little worry that Ivan might do something unexpected. He reached the doorknob and tried to open it, only surprised to find it unlocked. "Ivan?" The Western prince stepped into the room cautiously, crimson red eyes scanning around the room. Ivan was not in his room, and his room was in a complete mess. Gilbert winced a little at the sight of it, as if Ivan's world had collapse when Yao had died.

Mountains of books scattered all over the desk and floor. Gilbert noticed some of them to be fairy tales that parents would often told to their children. He continued looking around, noticing something familiar in a pile of clothes. In the dim lighting, Gilbert could noticed a piece of fabric laid scattered on the floor, followed by more of them like a river. But what caught his eyes, was a red shaped heart that was being stitched on the material. He gathered up the clothing, to find that it was the scarf Ivan always wore and refused to remove. It was torn into several pieces, broken, like how Ivan was feeling now.

"Bruder, what are you doing in here?" Ludwig suddenly appeared at Ivan's doorstep. Gilbert was shocked at his brother's appearance that he almost dropped the shredded scarf. "W-West, what are you doing in here?"

"I got worried about you…" Ludwig said in monotone. Gilbert had to give the little boy some credits for his good observing skills at such young age. "Well, er…" Gilbert stammered, wondering how should he told his brother. "I-It's just that… I want to say goodbye to someone before I left, but… but that person is not in here."

"Then why didn't you go and find him?" Ludwig asked, quirking his blonde brow. "It's… It's not as simple as you said, West. That person refused to see me, so even if I found him, there's no way he wants to meet me." Clutching the scarf tight to himself, he went up to hold Ludwig's hand in his. "Let's get going. Roderich and Elizaveta should be waiting for us already." Ludwig did noticed the depressed tone in his brother's voice but isn't going to ask on it.

Arthur and Francis went off to see the Western Family to their carriage. Everyone was silent throughout the walk, except for the little gesture like thanking them for visiting and staying during the time being. Gilbert and Ludwig waited in the carriage for their adopted parents to join them while the adults were busy bidding each other goodbye. Ludwig wanted nothing but just to leave this place as soon as possible. Gilbert on the other hand was looking out from the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ivan, but he didn't.

* * *

A few years passed in a blur, things continued to go on as if it was normal. Kiku had taken over his brother's duty all by himself, working day and night just for the sake of the royal family and his very own little meaning for living. Through this, he hoped to forget the scars that afflicted him during the past, especially Alfred. But yet, it was not enough. He can't forget Alfred completely. Every time whenever he ran past Alfred's room or doing errands in the garden, memories of the past will flash before him and he would reminded of Alfred's smile and those innocent sky blue eyes. It hurt him even more thinking that Alfred will never wanted to see him again.

During all these times, he ended up spending more time with Natalia, who seemed to stray even further from her brother. Natalia was slowly growing up into a young lady that she shut herself even more from her family, making the family seemed reclusive. Ever since that incident, Kiku was assigned to be Natalia's personal servant (though he still does servant job outside), which he was afraid of her cool and cold behaviour at first but eventually Natalia warmed up to him.

Alfred emotional outbreak had settled down eventually and he came out of his room quite often. Kiku was relieved but sad at the same time because from what he could see Alfred was not the Alfred he had known years ago. His blue eyes still shine but not with the determination he knew before and his smile was never directed at him, which disappointed him. But Kiku was never going to show his weakness in front of people, he was just a servant. He can never have the prince in his dream.

And now, Alfred was busy occupying himself with all the preparations a crown prince has to go through to be the future king. The moment when Alfred was out of his room was to have some tutoring or classes from his parents or mentors. If not, Kiku would caught the younger prince doing sword practicing at the courtyard outside. Otherwise, he would find himself serving a drink for the prince when he was learning to manage the political jobs his fathers had assigned him to do. All the while, Kiku devoted himself to Alfred but Alfred had never paid him any attention, which sadden him even more.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Things will soon have to happen anyway…

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I know you treasure Natalia like she was your own daughter. But don't forget, she was also Katyusha's daughter, her successor and the heir to the Northern Kingdom. She must return back to where she belong and rule her country." Vash told Arthur.

"But… Is she ready for this?" Arthur questioned, worry laced in his tone. "She is just only fifteen."

"We have no choice." Liech said, "She was named Crown Princess since she was born by Lady Katyusha. She still have to inherit the throne sooner or later."

Francis gently nudged Arthur by the shoulder as an attempt to comfort him. "What they said is right, _cheri_. Natalia belongs to her own birthplace and the throne and kingdom is where she belongs. The sooner she return the better, there's many things Liech and Vash has to teach her before she could rule the kingdom." Arthur let out a heavy sigh. With a heavy heart, he made his decision, for the sake of Natalia.

Kiku was busy arranging Natalia's stuff in her room while Natalia went to meet her 'fathers'. Once again, he felt as if he was being betrayed. First his mother, later his brother followed by Alfred, and now Natalia is going to leave him as well. He's alone, all alone in this cruel world, where he has to spend his entire lifetime being a servant and slave to this castle, forever! Why is fate so cruel to him? He'd rather die than continued living with endless sufferings.

"Kiku, is everything in place?" Natalia suddenly entered by the door, enough to regain his consciousness. "A-Almost done, lady Natalia." Kiku replied curtly as he quickly arranged the books she planned to bring along so they looked presentable. "W-What did King Arthur and King Francis told you?" He asked, trying to stick up a conversation.

"It's nothing, they just reminded me to be a good girl and take good care of myself when being in the Northern Kingdom." Natalia just shrugged her shoulders. "I did went to find Brother Ivan, but he won't open the door for me." Kiku knew that Natalia cared about her brother deeply, like how he does for his brother, but then their relationship seemed to have strained since that incident.

"Kiku," Natalia called the servant boy. Kiku whipped his head to face the princess who now sat on her bed idling. "Yes, my lady?" Kiku asked with utmost politeness.

What he did not expect was a request from Natalia. "Will you come with me to the Northern Kingdom?" Kiku was taken aback by the request, but his heart was tugged with hope that perhaps he can follow Natalia away from his unhappy life in here now. "W-Why? C-Can I r-really follow you t-to the Northern Kingdom?"

"It's just that… I feel the need to have a company…" Natalia mumbled while biting her lips. "Everything will be a stranger to me once I left here. At least if you come with me, I won't be afraid that much…" She added, "Moreover, Prince Alfred had rejected you, don't he? I suggested that you leave this place and start anew in my place."

"But… What if Arthur and Francis…"

"I have talked to them about it just now. They said you are allowed to come with me as long as I keep you safe." Natalia reassured him. "You don't have to worry about it. I'll make you my personal attendant and make sure everyone treats you properly."

Kiku pondered about what Natalia had said, and decided to go with her since there wasn't anything much to be remembered here. Natalia dismissed him once he finished packing her stuff and she let him went off to pack up his stuff. But the moment he left her room, he suddenly remembered about Alfred. Widening his eyes in shock, he realized that he was going to leave Alfred alone in this castle. While Alfred had refused to see him, part of him still cared for the prince. But there's no way to turn back, he has promised Natalia to come with her. Perhaps he could do something for Alfred before he left this place…

Several days later, Natalia was going to embark on her journey back to her birth place, the Northern Kingdom. As she stood at the garden outside preparing to leave, she could feel the aura from her homeland, its power surging through her veins, as if it was calling her back.

Vash and Liech were busy loading some of the things onto a carriage. From today onwards, they will be Natalia's mentor. She'll be given the proper training to be crowned as the future High Princess of the North Kingdom.

Kiku came down not too long later, his face void of expression as always. Arthur and Francis came behind the servant. Both had tears flashing in their eyes, though Francis was better-control than the other. While Natalia do not have much interactions with them, she still cared for them deeply because they were the ones who raised her in place of her deceased mother. She missed the time where Arthur would tell them some wonderful fairy tale that she always dreamed of and those delicious pancakes Francis would make for her during breakfast.

"Natalia, come here." Arthur gestured towards her. Natalia followed his instruction obediently and closed their distance. Arthur then enveloped her into a hug which she would miss a lot. "You've grown so big already. When I first saw you, you was just a baby." Arthur said tenderly, kneeling to eye-level at her while he spoke. "And now, you have become a brave, strong girl and with a kingdom to rule, just like what your mother had said."

Tears glistened in the girl's lilac eyes while she fought them as she saw tears streaking down Arthur's face. She had never cried before in front of other people, not to let anyone see her weakness. But this time, she finally gave in. She melted into his embrace and cried shamelessly. Francis saw this joined the hug as well. This was supposed to be a brief reunion if it wasn't because the group was missing one member.

"Don't cry, _ma petite fille_." Francis soothed her, running his hand down her long platinum blonde hair which had grown to reach her waist. Natalia faced the two kings with teary eyes while sobbing, "W-Will you s-still… l-love me… even if I-I'm no longer… with you? D-Does t-that mean… I-I will never return h-here… anymore?"

Seeing Natalia's crying face wrenched their heart even more, Arthur gently reached her temple and brushed some of the tears away. "Silly, we will still love you no matter what, because you're our daughter. And someday, we are going to meet again. You are always welcomed to return home."

The three of them embraced for a while when Vash suddenly called out. "Lady Natalia, it's time to go. The journey to the Northern Kingdom is long and we have to hurry if we don't want to be late." Natalia rubbed off the tears that was on her cheeks. She released herself from her parent's embrace and went to step inside the carriage where Kiku was waiting. Just before she stepped into the carriage, she lifted her head to the window where her brother's room was supposed to be. The curtains were drawn open, which was unusual for him. Giving one last glance at the window, she entered the carriage, somehow a bit disappointed that she cannot see her brother eye-to-eye for the last time.

All the while when Kiku sat in his carriage, he would always shifted his eyes towards Alfred's room. Sadly, the window and curtains in Alfred's room were tightly shut as always. He looked down at the crumpled paper on his hands as a tears slid down his face. In his heart, he silently bid his prince a farewell while realization sank in that he will never see Alfred again.

Ivan watched through the windows as the carriage left the castle ground. He had wanted to say a proper goodbye to his sister but decided not to since there were too many people outside. He wished Natalia the best of all while ruling her own kingdom. He watched as the carriage slowly disappeared in his sight, only then he closed his curtains. Somewhere in his mind, he knew that Alfred must have never noticed that Natalia and Kiku were gone since he has not met them since the incident. He was glad that Kiku and Natalia have finally left, it was just too much of a pain to love someone, and he promised to protect Alfred from all possible trouble…

xXx

I'm sad not because Alfred and Ivan does not received any review of comfort but it's because I feel so bad for Kiku that he was completely shunned away by the person he cared the most. And I was so bad to worsen the situation by getting all the characters separated so badly. Is this just the end? Well, if you actually squint and read through the first few chapters again, you might get some hints for the future chapters.

This is also where a little plot from the first chapter comes through. I actually debated on whether to write the scene of Ivan comforting Alfred. In the end, I decided not to since chapter one has already show that part. And if you wonder when it happen, it should happened sometime after Gilbert had left and before Natalia's leaving for the North Kingdom throne. So this could explain why Alfred came out of his shell but change in behaviour, it's because of Ivan's influence.

The next chapter will be in the present time arc where all the kids had finally grown up into adults. The past would then repeat again and chaos rise one after another. What will happen to Alfred and Kiku? Will the other characters get their very own Happily Ever After?

Can I have a little review? I have been running out of ideas recently and Alfred is sad that no one comfort him, Ivan's gonna beat you with a pipe if you don't. Moreover, I have not received any reviews ever since I continued this story with my own writing. I know my writing style may differ with the original author but your support is the reason I continued writing, so can someone at least give me a little encouragement? I will be waiting. 3


	13. Chapter 12

**One Last Fairytale: Someone's Waiting for You**

As a new morning rises in the castle of Main Hetalia, things once started to get lively. Every single occupants in the castle rushed about to get things fixed up for the upcoming event.

Alfred woke up with a yawn when rays of sunlight shimmered through his closed eyelids. Groaning, he sat up on bed and found himself covered on his brother's Ivan favourite purple blanket. Sitting up on his bed, his sky blue eyes scanned the surrounding, finding himself to be in Ivan's room, not his room.

"How'd I get in here?" He asked himself.

"If it wasn't because of a certain self-proclaimed hero got a nightmare and snuck out of bed again." Ivan suddenly appeared at the door, fully dressed for the day already.

"Stop making fun of me, heroes don't do that!" Alfred whined in protest.

"But I thought you enjoy listening to my story about a prince and his beautiful servant girl." Ivan continued to tease the younger prince.

"S-Shut it!" Alfred yelled back, his face was flustered red. He was about to fire a string of cursing words but Arthur suddenly appeared by the doorway.

"Alfred, why are you still in your nightclothes while being in Ivan's room?" The scowl in his father's face told him that he won't be able to get away this time. "You sneaked out at night again?! Seriously, I thought I taught you better than that bloody frog. Just when will you stop all this? What will people think about you if they see the crown prince walking down the hallway in the middle of the night wearing nightclothes while finding shelter just because of a nightmare? You know how embarrassing it was for someone like you who is going to turn eighteen soon."

Alfred let Arthur continued with his rambling non-stop while kept nodding his head. His parents have been quite pesky lately as his eighteen birthday was approaching. All these days were like hell to him, days of endless classes and lessons, later hand-to-hand combat as well as swords practicing, and followed by etiquette class. After all that, he has to go through several fitting session for his birthday where his parents had decided to throw a ball where he could chose his future queen-to-be or spouse or whatever. To be truth, Alfred had never liked any of these. Well, for the least, he once dreamed to be a king like his fathers but that thought blurred into nothing after the incident eleven years ago. He wishes to have his own life like the prince and princess who gave up their royal title just to be together, or like the prince who ran away with his lover. That was the happiness he had wished for. Though he doubted having that kind of ending, but his brother wanted him to believe in these stories, in hope that he will get his own Happily Ever After. Alfred couldn't care less about that, though he did noticed that his brother would be in a depressed state from time to time that he would scared people off.

Arthur had finally let Alfred returned back to his room after his lecture that could probably last for an hour. Alfred had himself dressed in fine silk clothes Arthur had specifically picked it up for him. His schedule would started out as usual. In the morning, he would have breakfast with King Francis and King Arthur in private as a sort of family bonding time. After that, he would go through several boring lesson like history, politics and meeting with the officials, he could paid less attention for that. His physical training came next until the sun had finally descended in the horizon only then he will drag his lifeless body back into the castle to have dinner and enjoyed a little freedom he was allowed.

Francis was already at the dining waiting for them the moment they arrived the royal dining hall. He smiled a little when welcoming them while hugging Arthur before planting a kiss on his cheeks. Alfred couldn't help but noticed how much Francis and Arthur had aged since the last time he saw them (back then when he was just seven years old). Those smooth skin were now marked with some fringes and wrinkles and were no longer as bright as before. He certainly had outgrown them due to his strength and now they appeared small and low to the ground when compared to him. He soon realized that how much he missed spending time with them, but he had let those time go waste.

Alfred sat across his parents on the table while the family began digging in their food. All the time Alfred could feel the stares emanating from them and felt uneasily. They were monitoring his etiquette, table manners to be specific. Under their pressure, panic taken over him and he picked up the wrong spoon to scoop his soup. The moment when he realized it, it was too late. He could saw Arthur scowled and shook his head in disagree in the corner of his eyes, Francis on the other hand tried not to show his expression but Alfred could noticed the hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"Alfred, how many times should you pick the wrong spoon? We are running out of time." Arthur complaint.

"But I'm trying…"

"Cheri, I think we should leave him alone. He seems nervous under our watch." Francis suggested helpfully.

Arthur just sighed at what Francis said. "If he had been like this, then how is he going to react in front of our guest?"

"You seems like you're behaving like your father." Francis commented.

"I won't be like him and I'm not him." Arthur corrected. "To tell you the truth, I handled my class way better than him but that bastard father of mine still think I'm not enough. You should be glad that I'm considered lenient already."

"If it's the case, you shouldn't force me into marriage." Alfred whined while making puppy eyes. His expression failed to win over Arthur's sympathy, even Francis did not buy it.

"It's tradition that all crown prince must ascend to the throne and get married by the time when he turn eighteen. Though we will still rule by your side, but someday the nation will be on your shoulders once we passed away." Arthur said as if he recited those words out from a book.

"And in the end, you still forced me into marriage." Alfred said sullenly.

"Non Alfred, have you learned about the history of the Old Northern Kingdom?" Francis asked back. "Do you know what caused the West Kingdom and Southeast Kingdom to rebel against Main Hetalia?"

Alfred wondered why would Francis brought up his history lesson, maybe he was testing him on something. He thought back what he had learned during his lesson, somehow finding the incident quite related to the story his fathers had told him before. "It's because that you and dad were in love but the old king whom you said to be my grandpa forbids your relationship, so papa saved you and escaped to the North Kingdom. Grandpa got angry, so he attacks the North Kingdom."

Arthur found it embarrassing when Alfred related the story that he punched Francis weakly on the arm (he also got furious on Alfred's bad grammar on you and dad). "F-Francis, you bloody frog. Why do you make him say this?"

Francis grinned a little that he stretched one of his arm to envelope Arthur in a hug. "Oh hush, mon Cherie. I'm just going to teach Alfred a lesson."

"And what's this thing all about?" Alfred asked, hands on his hips.

"If it wasn't because of us, you wouldn't have been here anyway." Arthur reasoned.

"And because of that, Mattie left me…" Alfred grumbled on, which caused Arthur to smack him on the back.

That wasn't the point, you idiot!" Arthur practically yelled back at him. "It actually means that we don't want you to go through what we have been through. You can have all the freedom you want in picking your spouse, we won't object lest that person is good to you and us."

"And you are still forcing me into marriage."

"Alfred, this matters your future." Francis said, his tone was serious, which was unusual. "On your birthday night, you'll be introduced with all eligible young man and woman where you'll pick your future spouse."

"This is not fun at all." Alfred whined, "I can only marry someone whom I love."

Francis laughed a little at Alfred's little complain. "No worries, you'll fall in love with someone sooner or later." He made a wink at Arthur but the later pretend not to see it. "Just like how me and your daddy fell in love at the first sight. I'm sure you will find someone you like in the ball. And soon, you'll know what love is like."

Alfred wasn't in any much of a mood to listen his parents but he obeyed them willingly since everything has been done according to the plans. He sighed a little, thinking about what the future was like getting married and sitting on the throne his fathers' once sat on. It would be tough having to deal with another half. He highly doubted that he could find the right person whom he will be spending the rest of his life with. Still, he found himself getting anxious about his birthday as the days were approaching. His fathers will be reopening the castle to the public (the last time being Alfred's seventh birthday) where he can finally see the outside world again and meet with lots of people. Excitedly, he left the dining hall to continue with the schedule his parents had planned for him for the upcoming days.

* * *

Summer has finally come in the North Kingdom. Little flowers and greenery can be seen covering the usually snow covered land, giving it off a little of life and colour.

High Princess Natalia woke up early in the morning. As usual, she would take a bath and clean herself before getting Felix help on getting dressed. Kiku would brought her breakfast after that before she started off her daily routine.

Natalia had been crowned High Princess of the North Kingdom a year ago where she soon ascended to the throne that once belonged to her mother. For her, being orphaned as an infant to grow up as a strong ruler of the kingdom. It was something to be behold. Just nineteen and already ruling the kingdom to peace, prosperity and tranquillity with much power in possess. Yet, rumours had it that she's an ice princess because of her cool, cold and calculating behaviour. Many eligible royals had come to ask for her hand in marriage but she would turn down their offer.

"You look, tote like, fantastic, my lady." Felix took a moment to marvel at the dress he had specifically chosen for Natalia today. Natalia examined her outfit at the mirror before sitting down before her dressing table where Felix would help her brush her silver blonde locks.

Kiku brought breakfast the moment when Felix had finished brushing Natalia's hair. "My lady, here's your breakfast." Kiku said with a slight bow. Natalia eyed the tray of food before gesturing Kiku to place it on her table.

After finishing her breakfast, she stepped out from her chambers, with Kiku at her side. Rows of servants and maids greeted her a good morning as she walked down the hall towards where the meeting room would be.

"Good morning, your majesty." Three men greeted her as she arrived in the meeting hall. Natalia recognized them as Toris, Eduard and Raivis. Eduard is her adviser in both military and politics, which he was very smart in it. Raivis is a messenger in charge of delivering message from kingdom to kingdom. The last of all, Toris is her personal bodyguard whenever she has to go for a trip outside the castle. There's also a rumour had it that she had feelings for Toris because she treated Toris better than anyone else.

"Is there any important thing today?" She questioned. Raivis shivered a little at her cold demeanour. Shuddering, he walked up to her and handed a sealed letter in front of her. "Y-Your majesty, I-I received a letter f-from the king of M-Main Hetalia…" Her eyes widened at the news from her parents that she snatched the letter from Raivis hands. "Do you know what this thing is about?" She asked the messenger boy. Raivis shivered even harder before replying, "I don't know exactly what the content is about. But from what I heard, it must be an invitation from Main Hetalia to attend Crown Prince Alfred's eighteen birthday."

Natalia eyed Kiku from the corner of her eyes. Though the servant tried to hide his expression, she could notice that his eyebrows seemed to raise a bit at the news and his eyes shone with anxiety. She knew what was in the servant boy's mind but decided not to bring it up in front of the people. So she choose to ignore Kiku for a moment while focusing on her work.

"Is there anything else?" She asked them.

Eduard pushed his glasses up his nose before flipping through several pages on his file. "It seems like there's some riots happening at the west of the North Kingdom. Matthias and Berwald brought us news that people were rebelling there because of a lack of resources and how they didn't get what they want."

Natalia knew well enough about that. It has been years since the Old Northern Kingdom collapse and yet part of the kingdom was still in desperate state to recover. The west part especially was badly damaged and wreaked that resources were cut off after the war. Though help has been given, it was not enough, so reconstruction was out of the question as well.

"The rebels are requesting that their needs is provided as soon as possible. They also request that you could develop or open up that area so that it is easier to be access from the outside city." Eduard continued. "If you are alright with that, then Toris will accompany you to the west area to meet them."

Natalia pondered about the situation in her mind. She really wishes to go and meet the people who were desperately in need but then she had a meeting with the officers later too. "But I already had an arranged meeting with some officers in the afternoon."

There was a knock at the door. Liech came in with some papers with her. "Sorry to interrupt, your highness, but I got something to tell you." Natalia waved her hand as a gesture for Liech to continue. "The officers had requested for the meeting this afternoon to be cancelled."

_What perfect timing_, Natalia thought to herself, _but why?_ "Did they state their reason for not attending? It's not possible that the three of them couldn't attend together in one time."

"The west rebel has been concerning. They wished to go oversee the place while trying to help out the people there." Liech informed. "Is that alright with you?"

Natalia nodded in agreement while planning out her schedule for today, "Since I also planned on going to the west for some errand, we could have the meeting cancel if it's not anything important." She then turned to Liech. "I trust on you and Vash to manage the castle while I'm away. Toris will accompany me to the site." She then turned around to order Kiku to help her pack her stuff.

Everything was soon done in a rush. The officers which Natalia originally planned to meet, Lukas, Emil and Tino had decided to accompany them in another carriage, which Natalia was extremely grateful of them for giving her some private space. They are officers from different parts of the North Kingdom and she trusted them enough in maintaining peace in the kingdom.

They departed for the west area as soon as the packing were done. Toris will accompany Natalia in the same carriage. One of the knight in training, Peter, whose appearance always reminded her of her father Arthur's thick eyebrow was so persistent to go with them, believing he could prove himself useful to the team. It was strange though, for a boy at the age of twelve to be serving the military, energetic and flowing with (over)confidence. No one could convince the child to stay, so they decided to just bring him along where he would be in the carriage with the officers (since Tino is good at handling him for some reasons).

As the carriage soon made its way across the street, Toris noticed Natalia straying elsewhere. Her deep blue eyes locked outside and stared across the deep horizon as if in search of something. Those eyes that could paralyzed people were now so soft and unnatural, as if a sudden movement will ruin it.

"Natalia?" Toris was the one who broke the silence. Natalia snapped from her thought and turned her head back to face her personal bodyguard. "Yes Toris?" She asked, Toris noted how gentle her voice sounded now. "Is there something bugging you? I notice something… wrong with you when Raivis brought you the message from Main Hetalia."

Natalia stiffen a bit at what the young man had said. She really have to give credit for his skills in observation. "Regarding that letter, it has something related to Kiku." Natalia answered back. "That servant boy?" Toris questioned back, Natalia just nodded. "It's… A very long story… Like a once upon a time…"

* * *

It was another boring meeting in the castle of the west kingdom. All the while Gilbert would try to keep himself awake but to no avail. He can't even listen properly to what the person was delivering. Still, Ludwig remained as attentive like the serious boy he used to be. Gilbert found it admiring, for his brother still remaining alert throughout the lengthy meeting.

"Bruder, you're slacking off again in the meeting." Ludwig nudged his brother on the shoulder once the meeting was dismissed. "But west, don't you ever feel boring? It's all the same everyday, talking about economy and politics and discussing issue."

"But it's our job," Ludwig reasoned. Gilbert just shrugged his shoulders, "If only you're born older than me, then maybe you will take my place instead." Ludwig chuckled a bit and slung one of his arm over the albino's shoulder. "I guess it's a no, thank you."

The two brothers walked into their study room where they could have some privacy. Gilbert walked to his desk and unloaded his file which were full of paper chunks. He leaf through them in one glance before trashing all of them into a dustbins beside his table. They were after all, just trash of drafted sheet that had gone waste. He was about to continue with his job but something in the trash bin caught his eye.

"What is it, bruder?" Ludwig walked up and asked in concern. Gilbert bent down to retrieve the piece that gotten his attention. It was a sealed letter. But when did it appeared inside Gilbert's file, among a pile of useless documents? Perhaps someone dropped it, or someone slipped it into his file without him noticing.

"When did this letter appeared in my file?" Gilbert asked himself, Ludwig just shrugged. "It must be something important if it is for us." Ludwig then took a good look at the seal and immediately recognized it. "That seal… It's from Main Hetalia." Main Hetalia? Gilbert perked up immediately, it has been awhile since they received news from Main Hetalia. What is it about this time?

"One way to find out." Gilbert said as he took out a small knife he kept in his desk drawer. He cut the waxed seal before taking out the piece of paper in the envelope. Ludwig edged closer in hope to find out the content in the paper. Gilbert's crimson red eyes scanned through the paper before he let out a gasp.

"What is it about?" Ludwig asked in concern.

"Not much of a matter." Gilbert replied, "It's an invitation from King Arthur and King Francis regarding a masquerade ball to be hosted on Crown Prince Alfred's eighteen birthday."

Ludwig reached out for the letter from his brother's hand and read through the content. "It says here that all eligible young man or young lady who had not married or engaged were invited to attend. Classes and social status were not a matter."

"Sounds like a good time for a break, kesese…" Gilbert chuckled a bit. "I bet King Arthur and King Francis must be trying to find a suitable spouse for Prince Alfred."

"Are you interested in winning Prince Alfred's hand?" Ludwig joked.

"Nein!" Gilbert protested, "I just want a break. It's been awhile since visit Main Hetalia."

There was a knock at the door and in came Roderich and Elizaveta. Both brothers turned their attention to their guests. "I thought the two of you should be working. It seems like the two of you are slacking." Elizaveta made a mischievous grin.

"It won't harm, right?" Gilbert retorted back, "After all those boring meetings, I just need some time for myself."

Roderich noticed a piece of paper laid on the table and went to read it. "So I see, we got an invitation."

"What is it, Roderich?" Elizaveta moved closer to her husband to get a peek of the letter.

"Arthur and Francis were planning to hold a masquerade ball so that Prince Alfred could find his future spouse." Roderich replied.

"It has been a long time since we last met." Elizaveta said. Ever since that incident, Arthur had requested that the castle door remained close for a certain amount of period of time. During those moment, the castle lived on like a dead shell. Visitors were limited, even the royals and nobles from other kingdom were not allowed unless it was something urgent, so it was quite rare for them to receive their letters these days. _Not too long_, Elizaveta told herself, the castle door will soon opened up again become lively again.

"I would like to attend." Elizaveta squealed. "It has been awhile since we attend such a grand event. Also, I miss my cousin and his husband very much. I would like to see them."

"And don't forget us." Gilbert proudly proclaimed himself. "How can you forget the awesome us who were also part of the nobility?"

Elizaveta rolled her eyes at Gilbert's behaviour before saying, "I didn't say you're not allowed to attend. You are now the ruler of this kingdom, so it's up to you to decide yourself whether you're going to go or not." Roderich caught the smirk on his wife's face and felt something not right. "Elizaveta, is there something you're planning on?"

"Oh, you're a sharp one, Roderich." Gilbert and Ludwig felt their blood went cold as they saw the devious smirk appeared on her face. "It's time that the two of you went to the ball and find yourself a suitable spouse."

"Are you expecting us to find someone we love in the ball and married them? What ridiculous thing is that?" Gilbert exclaimed while Ludwig flushed in embarrassment.

"The invitation here says that all young man and women who had not get married were allowed to attend, and status was not a matter in here. I doubt that you can't find the person you like amongst so many of them."

Gilbert gave Roderich a pleading look in hope that Roderich will try to persuade Elizaveta from forcing them into marriage so soon. But Roderich was undaunted as he adjusted his glasses. "For once, I agree with what you say, Elizaveta. It should be time to let the boys learn to be a true adult."

She said while placing both her hands at her hips, as if she was their mother. "Moreover, you're already twenty-six and still not married. This is seen as a threat to the kingdom as other nobles will try to win over the throne with their heir."

"But that's not fair. I can only marry the person whom I truly love, not by the first sight or just a moment of pleasure." Gilbert lamented.

"You won't know until you find out yourself." Roderich told him calmly. "I know the chances you find someone you may be one in a million but it is still better than zero chances."

"Fine, I will try if I could woo anyone." Gilbert said as he slammed his fist angrily on the table before walking out. Roderich and Elizaveta shook their head disapprovingly. Ludwig watched his brother left the study before decided to follow him. He knew there was something up in Gilbert's thought, just that he was too stubborn to admit it.

Ludwig found Gilbert walking up flight of stairs that led up to the part of the castle which was usually abandoned. This place, if he remembered clearly, was once their playroom where they spent the most of their childhood hidden in the depth of the castle while keeping them away from the adult world. But now, this place has only became the mere shell of their memories.

Gilbert walked into their playroom, now dusty and covered in cobwebs. Their toys were put away, being left to ignore. Ludwig watched as Gilbert went to open a drawer and pulled out something that looks like a fabric out from it.

"West, I know you're out there." Ludwig flinched a little when Gilbert said that. Slowly, he stepped into the room like a child who was caught red-handed. "S-Sorry…" Ludwig said sheepishly, "I'm just… worried about you…"

"I always know you understand better than me." Gilbert said. He held the piece of fabric on his hands, the scarf that once belonged to Ivan. He had spent some of his free time threading and mending it, trying to revert it back to its original one. Sadly, it can never remain as new as before. Gilbert had joined all the fabric together back into one piece with strings of various colours. The red hearts he once sew for Ivan were still intact and new like before. In the middle of the scarf, Gilbert had embroidered a blue heart.

For once, Ludwig admired his brother's skill in embroidery. He had learn this since he was a young boy. And no matter how cruel his hands may be from all the sword training he has been through, he still can have his soft spot from time to time. Gilbert ignored his brother's stares as he gently folded the scarf and placed it back into the drawer with utmost care.

Ever since they left Main Hetalia, both princes were being thrown into an endless training sessions. They could care less things around them, being trained by Elizaveta and Roderich 24/7 to get themselves equipped with their duties as a royal. They could hardly take a break, and it has been a while since they last saw the children from other kingdoms. But then, Ludwig knew more, Gilbert must be thinking about that person whom he cares a lot when young.

"Are you still thinking about that person you wished to meet in Main Hetalia?" Ludwig asked knowingly.

Gilbert was silent for a moment. He then sat on the bed pondering about his jumbled feelings. Ludwig followed soon, sitting next to his brother like those days they were little children. Ludwig don't have much memories about his parents, he didn't even utter a single word in front of them before, and so Gilbert is the only person whom he could confide in.

"West, do you remember what I say on the day before we left for Main Hetalia?" Gilbert asked, breaking the silence.

"I remembered you spent the whole day training with Roderich. You must've want to train yourself stronger, wasn't it?"

Gilbert nodded, before pressing on, "West, what will you do if you lost someone important to you? Or what if that person was sad and despair? What would you do to help that person you cared about?"

"If it is for me, I will do my best to protect the person I treasured even though it may cost my life. And also, some comfort to cheer him up." Ludwig replied, his blue eyes gazed across the distance as if thinking something.

Gilbert smiled a bit at the answer received. "I'm glad that you're willing to give everything to protect the person whom you treasure. But the problem is, what will you do if you failed to protect him?"

"I will try harder." Ludwig answered, "Make him realise my effort for him."

"You may think it's easy, right?" Gilbert questioned. "But it seems like it was harder than I thought." He leaned on his brother's shoulder while thinking of the past. "I had tried to protect him, but ended up hurting him instead."

At this point, Ludwig was silent. He knew there's no other word to comfort his brother. He know Gilbert has someone whom he treasured, but he never truly know the full details about it. All he knew was, his brother was determined to protect that person. In the end, that person ended up having a sort of depression which caused them to separate.

"But, since you're going to meet him, sooner or later. So don't you think this is an opportunity to mend the past?" Ludwig asked.

"I would hope so." Gilbert said. "This time, I will truly protect him, and tell him what I felt about him."

Ludwig decided to use this as an opportunity to dig out his brother's scarred love. "But then, you never tell me what actually happened between you and that person. So how am I going to help you when you're in trouble?"

"It was because that you're too young to understand." Gilbert replied in a mocking way. "But since you're my awesome bruder, I will tell you. Just don't tell other people, ja?"

"Ja," Ludwig replied simply.

"It began on a certain very ordinary day or perhaps so as I thought…"

* * *

****Natalia and Gilbert's thought in parallel perceptions. A change of paragraph means the change of perceptions. _Italic_ belongs to Natalia's viewpoint while Gilbert's story was in Underline.****

_Once upon a time, there were two princes living in the beautiful Hetalia kingdom. The older one was strong and charming, the younger brother was smart and courageous._

Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince from the North Kingdom, soul and arms of steel, but luckless on his love. He falls in love with a beautiful servant that had taken care of him since young.

_Since young, they had a company, a young servant who was almost at the same age as they do. They spend a lot of their time playing together in the castle garden. Over the time, the elder prince started to have feelings for the servant as well._

Then one day, the prince met a prince from the West Kingdom when he was off visiting. They are the most awesome friends ever. But then, the West Kingdom prince can never win over the prince heart as he knew that the prince was in love with the beautiful servant girl. He was jealous, but was not willing to break up them, so all he could do was to pray for the prince's happiness.

_But one day, the castle was being attacked by a group of mad soldiers. The king woke the two princes and told them to run and get out of the castle. The two of them ran down the stairs and headed off to the exit. But the elder prince suddenly thinks of the servant whom he cares about and went off to rescue her, leaving his other twin who was still on the run._

During the time when the West prince stay in the North prince's place, the North Kingdom castle was being attacked by a group of rebels. The princes who were playing in a room got shocked by the attack that they quickly ran down the hall to escape. On their way, however, they got surrounded by the rebel soldiers, so they had to fight through them. But then, in the midst of the fight, the ceiling suddenly collapsed, which separate the two princes. They cannot reached out to each other so they have to run on their own and find their way out alone.

_The other prince who made his way outside the castle soon discovered that his brother was nowhere to be seen. He was afraid that his brother was still trapped inside the castle. Worried, he ran back inside to search for his twin brother. But the moment when he stepped back into the castle, the mad soldiers caught up with him and killed him._

While the North prince was busy fighting off the soldiers, he did not noticed another soldier sneaking behind him planning to give him an ambush. All he could heard was a shriek before he felt someone lunged onto him from behind. He turned around only to find the servant girl fell onto the ground, lifeless. Her body a crimson red and a knife on her back. Angered, he killed the other soldiers while the rest ran away. He tried to wake her up with true love kiss but she never wake up, which leave him devastated.

_The king recovered the younger prince's body and mourned over his son's death. The older prince managed to save the servant and get out of the castle unscathed. But when he received news of his brother's death, he thought that it was a lie and was not willing to accept it. The servant did her best in comforting him but he was too stubborn to accept the reality. At some point, he finally snapped and banished the servant from his side. The servant had gotten really sad at what the prince had done to her. In the end, she left him and the castle as well…_

After the death of the servant girl, the North prince shut himself away from the world. The West prince tried to make him open up but he refused to. No matter what the West prince had tried, the North prince remained unhappy, particularly blaming himself for not able to protect the person he loved. Albeit reluctant, he West prince was forced to return home because of his duties for the country, the North prince was once again being left alone…

"_And since then, they had not met…"_ Natalia sighed as she watched a distance away, remembering the painful separation.

"But he still remember him…" Gilbert let his mind wondered back to those time where he wished it had never ended in this way.

****Both having the same thought****

_It's a fairytale, a story that went wrong._

_It's a fairytale, but remained incomplete, waiting to be finished._

_If only things are different…_

_If only we could go through that fate…_

_If only we could go back…_

_If and only if…_

_I only wish to make them smile._

* * *

"No way, you're cheating, again!" Alfred yelled when he failed to defeat Ivan again for another time.

"I didn't cheat. It was you who didn't learn well enough." Ivan grinned mischievously.

"You are no fun at all." Alfred spat out his tongue at Ivan while swinging his sword.

"And you're bad in fighting too." Ivan teased.

"Nonsense! I'm the hero, and hero will continue fighting until they win, cos' it's justice that will prevail."

"Try if you dare." Ivan glared back menacingly.

"Alfred, Ivan, it's getting late now. Why are you two still at outside?" Arthur called out for them, "Get inside now, dinner will be served soon."

"I guess it's next time." Ivan said as he went to keep his sword into its sheath. "Count yourself lucky this time. But I'll be back, you better remember that." Alfred spat in disgust.

The two prince ran back into the castle where they got changed and ready for dinner. Once done, they quickly approached the hall where the rest of the royal family is waiting. The servant served them their dinner and everyone ate in silence.

Alfred soon decided that it was some time where he could talk with his parents began to open his mouth which was full of food. "Dad, can I succeed the throne without getting married?"

Arthur scowled a little at Alfred's behaviour. Francis just shook his head, meaning that he was not allowed too. "Non Alfred, you can't rule the kingdom if you don't have a queen, or another king by your side."

"But…" Alfred was about to continue protest but Arthur's face got even darker and Francis stern look told him they had enough of his complain. "Listen to your parents, Alfred." Francis reminded him. "I know it's hard for you, but soon you'll get used to it."

"Fine…" Alfred whined and made a pout face while he just gave in to his parent's decision. Ivan just looked at him with some sort of expression he couldn't comprehend.

* * *

"Where have the two of you been to?" Elizaveta questioned them the moment when Gilbert and Ludwig returned back to their study.

"Just mopping around…" Gilbert simply made up an excuse in hope to stop her lecture.

"I know you two need a break but just don't go too long, you still have work to do." Elizaveta reminded them and gestured to a pile of documents before leaving. "Roderich and I had done those parts already. Please check through them before certifying it. And those papers were directed to you."

Once Elizaveta left, both brothers sat on their respective table with a huff. "W-Well…" Ludwig smiled an apologetic smile, "Back to work, I guess."

"Yeah…" Gilbert sighed as he reached out for the papers to read through. "But at least you're better than that aristocrat and that skillet lady."

"Say brother, why don't you attend that ball?" Ludwig brought up the topic.

"I have to go anyway. As the leader of the kingdom, and being invited to be there."

"No, not attending just because of a political reason." Ludwig made it clear. "I think this can be a good opportunity for you to meet that person whom you missed."

Gilbert smirked at his brother's suggestion. "I have been thinking about that. And I bet you will find an awesome spouse too. That's an awesome plan for us the awesome brothers."

* * *

Things had gone wrong. Natalia was supposed to just visit the West area for three days but ended up being a week. That place seemed like it had been remained like this since the fall of the Old North. She couldn't help at how scarce the food seemed to be at that area and how the war had left the mountain road blocked and broken and entering and exiting the place has become a problem. She had sent soldiers to help clear the path to the village. Next up, she had to plan some ways to help rebuilding the place.

Toris escorted her back to her chamber before he took his leaving. Natalia heaved a sigh before entering the room, only to find Kiku being inside her room cleaning up.

"A-Ah, P-Princess Natalia, i-it's a pleasure to see you back." Kiku made an awkward bow and smiled sheepishly when he saw Natalia by the doorstep.

"Thank you, Kiku. I hope you have been doing well as well." She said as she stepped into the room to her desk.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" Kiku walked up to her side and asked politely.

Natalia paused for a moment before finally facing Kiku. "There's something I need to talk to you."

At once, Kiku felt his heart skipped a beat. What was Natalia going to say to him? Is it good news? Or bad news?

"I'm sure that you've heard about the invitation from Main Hetalia regarding Prince Alfred's birthday." Natalia glanced at the servant boy and noticed hope tugged onto him. "And so I asked, do you have feelings for Prince Alfred?"

Kiku blushed at Natalia's question. He never thought that Natalia would question him about this. "W-Well… I-I guess… I had…" He said almost inaudibly.

"I can't hear you." Natalia demanded him to repeat. Flustered, Kiku just nodded his head in response. After receiving his response, she let out a sigh before saying, "Just as I thought. And, do you want to meet Alfred, for another time?"

Deep down in his heart, Kiku had always yearned to be by Alfred's side and live with him, but he knew that such dream in beyond the impossible. He was just a servant, and servant is not allowed to be involved in royal activities. Trying to hold down his blush, he shook his head, he was lying.

Natalia, however, was not satisfied by his answers. "Kiku, I know you better than anyone else here. When we were young, you always followed Alfred anywhere even when you're stuck with your job. During the time when we left Main Hetalia, you cried a few days because you're not able to see Alfred one last time. Are you sure you are not going to see him? Are you just going to shut yourself away from his life forever?"

"But my lady, I'm just a servant. Prince Alfred will never a lowly person just like me." Kiku said, "Moreover, what if he rejects me? What if he won't recognize me? It hurt too much if this thing ever happen…"

Natalia frowned a bit at Kiku's answer. "Kiku, think about it. Are you willing to see Alfred marry a stranger which he don't even know? How are you so sure that Alfred will be happy married off to a stranger? If you wish to make Alfred smile, then you should try to approach him. Even if he rejects him, pray for his happiness if you want him to be happy. With that, you'll be happy too." She gently nudged Kiku at the shoulder. "Do you think you will really be happy if you continued like this? I think it's time you should enjoy the life of your time."

"My lady… I'm not fit to do so…" Kiku protested weakly, tears streaking down his face.

"At least see Alfred for one last time? It won't hurt that much, right?" Natalia persuaded. "You should learn to appreciate the little freedom you're given." She picked up a box not too far from her desk. The one her servant left in her room not too long ago. "I have asked Felix to pick a suitable clothing for you. You can wear it for the event." She said and placed the box in front of him. "It's up to you to decide whether you want to attend the ball or not, I can't make the decision for you. But I advise that it is better you come so that you won't regret about it."

Kiku held the box in his hands as he processed what Natalia had said. He looked at the content in the box before bowing low before her. "Thank you for all the trouble you have been through just for me, my lady. I will have to consider about it." He said before leaving her room with the box. Natalia watched him leave and silently wished that Kiku made the right choice.

xXx

And finally, the new chapter is up. I have a hard time writing the part when Gilbert and Natalia were telling the stories from their respective views. I made it to be some twist, because it would be boring if things were repeated again. Also, Gilbert and Natalia actually weren't quite clear about Yao and Matthew's death during the incident, so they actually made up their own stories.

In addition to the children approaching adulthood, I have also added some new characters in the Northern Kingdom. Of those are the Baltics, Toris as Natalia's bodyguard, Eduard her adviser and Raivis her messenger. Felix was Natalia's groom. There also features the Nordics where Matthias is a general, Berwald as one of the marshall. The rest are Lukas, Emil and Tino, the three of them are representative that governs every part of the North Kingdom. Oh, and Peter too, he's a knight in training while he tries to act like an adult. Hope you like with this.

And so, I have heard that marriage among same gender had finally been allowed in America. Congratulation, I should said. Though the thought of two people of the same gender getting marry in the real world still terrified me at some point… It was another gigantic leap in history for America and I bet America must have ran off to propose to England right away so that they could get married. 8D Haha, just joking.

The next chapter will be featuring the masquerade ball taking place in Main Hetalia's castle. The characters will be reuniting once again!

And here is the present hierarchy list as given by the original author (edited by me):

Hierarchy of Hetalia Kingdom from highest to lowest (Present day story arc)

\- King Arthur and King Francis (Main Hetalia)

\- Crown Prince Alfred (Main Hetalia)

\- Crown Prince Ivan (Main Hetalia)

-High Prince Antonio (Southeast Kingdom), High Prince Gilbert (Western Kingdom), High Princess Natalia (North Kingdom)

\- Ludwig (Western Kingdom), Feliciano (Southeast Kingdom), Lovino (Southeast Kingdom)

\- Liech (North Kingdom), Vash (North Kingdom), Elizaveta (Main Hetalia), Matthias (North Kingdom), Lukas (North Kingdom), Emil (North Kingdom), Tino (North Kingdom), Berwald (North Kingdom)

\- Roderich (Western Kingdom), Feliks (North Kingdom), Toris (North Kingdom), Raivis (North Kingdom), Eduard (North Kingdom), Peter (North Kingdom).

\- Kiku (Nation across the sea)

\- Commoners

**tsuxken**: Thank you so much for reviewing. I have been waiting for this little reward forever and finally! XD I'm glad that you enjoy reading this story. Hope you will stay tune as I continue with my update.


	14. Chapter 13

**One Last Fairytale: So this is Love**

Kiku stared at his own reflection in the full length mirror. For once, he felt quite uncomfortable wearing something so formal and attending something a servant like him was not allowed to.

After days of persuading from Natalia and weighing among his decisions, Kiku decided to attend the ball mainly because he wants to see Alfred whom he had not met years ago.

Speaking about Alfred, he felt something tugged at his heart. Not because he was going to see Alfred soon, but a pang of jealousy that Alfred is going to get married soon. He knew that he can never catch Alfred's eyes, he was just a mere servant, a slave to the upper class. But then, he couldn't help but wonder why it hurt so much whenever he thinks about seeing Alfred dancing along with a lady or marrying someone of the nobility rather than him. He understood that he and Alfred can never be together, this is not a fairytale and all he can do is to pray that Alfred find his very own happiness and rule the kingdom as a great ruler.

"Kiku, is everything ready now?" Natalia soon walked into the room, wearing a glamorous dress, just for the event tonight. Just yesterday, he followed along with Natalia's small troupe travelling to Main Hetalia castle. Natalia kept his identity low as he was soon escorted to the servants' quarter where he was too familiar with.

Natalia's eyes scanned through Kiku's attire before giving an approving nod. She then handed him a mask that somehow seemed to be made of ice crystals. "Just remember to wear this on and don't tell anyone your name, it's the rule of a masquerade ball." She reminded him.

* * *

Alfred paced up and down in his own room, his hand occasionally ran over his head only to find one of the stubborn hair refused to lie down like the rest of his sunny blond locks. He had given up trying to tame it after several attempts of brushing it down. He then went to get himself a good look by looking at the mirror, only to notice that his tie has been crooked. He tried to adjust it, but only caused it to go crooked even more.

"The guest had all arrive. Alfred, are you ready?" Arthur entered the room only to find Alfred fumbling with his shirt tie. Arthur seeing this just sighed in amusement and went up to help Alfred adjusted his tie. "Seriously, when can you fix your tie properly?"

"But I try already…" Alfred whined. Arthur looked like he was about to complain something but closed his mouth again, not in much of a mood to argue. Alfred took this as an opportunity to beg his father. "Dad, can I not get marry?"

"Alfred, how many times do you want me to say this?" Arthur scowled a little. "Your papa and I had spent a lot of planning on this. You can't just go against our back because of your selfish thoughts."

"But what if I enjoy the party but don't wanna get marry?"

"Alfred, you're almost eighteen, with a kingdom in hand. How can you handle a kingdom without a queen? People will think that you're not mature enough."

"But what if I ended up marrying someone I don't even like? And whose selfishness is it that give me so much unhappiness?" Alfred retorted. "And, dad, grandpa might think of you being immature because of running away with papa but you don't think so because you love papa and decided to go against grandpa."

"Don't bloody say a word about that fucking grandpa of yours!" Arthur finally snapped at the mentioned of his father. "My case is hell different, not your fucking business to meddle with!"

"But that's because I want to have a love story like you and papa, not just get married because of political reason." Alfred fought back. "I don't wanna get married just to be king, but I the person I married must also be the person whom I can love."

"Then that's the point!" Arthur yelled back, "Just fucking go to the ball and meet the guests by yourself. I'm sure you can at least find one among them all."

"But what if I don't?"

"Alfred, you're old enough to make your own decision and we won't go against your wishes even if the person you love is a poor peasant girl. Your papa and I just don't want you to suffer the pain we have been through." Arthur spoke with a stern voice. "Even if you're not interested to meet them, you should at least talk to them or dance with them for a while. It's what a prince should give the people a good impression."

Alfred bit his lip, whenever he tried to argue with his father, it always ended up with him being the loser. He heaved a defeated sigh before submitting himself, "Fine, I will meet the guests. But that doesn't mean I will find my future spouse."

Arthur nodded, though not fully agreeable on Alfred's statement but there was no other way he could persuade his son. That stubborn behaviour reminded him too much about his past self, like father like son.

* * *

The ballroom was on his finest regalia as night reached its peak. Towards the end of the room sat King Arthur and King Francis at the highest thrones, both in their finest suit and crown on their head. Alfred and Ivan sat on the princes' seat next to their parent. From the right side of the family sat High Princess Natalia who was from the North Kingdom along with Liech and Vash behind her seat and the Southeast family with their current ruler High Prince Antonio and the Bonnefoy twins behind the chair he's sitting. To their left is High Prince Gilbert of Western Kingdom and Prince Ludwig, Roderich and Elizaveta standing by his side.

Guests started filling in the room, all in their finest suits and dresses, face hidden behind masks of various colours and design. One by one, they introduced themselves in front of the royal families. Alfred could barely paid any attention to all those boring introductions. His sky blue eyes darted all around the ballroom, those whom he once met when he was young were now all grown up, just like him and he could barely recognize them.

Once the introduction session were finally over, music started to fill the hall and people began to pair up and dance among themselves. Francis quickly whisked Arthur into the dance floor, followed by Roderich and Elizaveta with the guest followed soon. Alfred's eyes wandered off the room, noticing Natalia dancing with a certain young man, Ludwig spinning in the dance floor with a small brunette man in his arms. Antonio was dancing too, with someone (a man or a lady?) he didn't recognize.

"You should join the party and dance with some of the ladies." Ivan suggested helpfully.

"Thanks, but I don't think I really like this." Alfred said with disgust. "I feel like I'm getting dizzy."

"But at least show some manners in front of our guest?" Ivan nudged. When Alfred did not make a move, he decided to just ignore the young prince and join the crowd instead. He walked into the crowd and pull one of the court ladies into a dance.

Alfred decided to just run off when his parents were not looking but suddenly one of the lady appeared next to him and said in a voice that seems so fake.

"Good evening, your highness." She greeted him awkwardly. "I was like, thinking, would you care to have a dance with me?" She tried to dazzle him with a smile but all the makeup she was wearing make her face looks plastered.

Alfred wanted to run away, to turn down her offer but he can't. If not, his father will gone through the roof and he will be in big trouble. With a sigh, he stood up and danced along with the annoying lady.

* * *

Kiku sneaked into the ball when the dancing ceremony began. The moment when he stepped into the room, one of the man noticed him and asked him for a dance. Kiku pondered and agreed, why not get some fun since he had the time of his life? The man swept him into the dance floor and he almost got lost in the crowd but managed to get a hold of it (Natalia has given him some dance lesson before that), thankfully his clothes didn't obstruct much of his movement.

There is a change of music and the crowd began switching partners while dancing. Kiku found himself being twirled before he changed his partner. To his surprise, his partner was quite tall that he felt so much inferior being towered by that man. The man stared at him with eyes he could not comprehend, which was hiding behind the mask. Kiku felt his blood went cold, but felt a sense of familiarity at the same time.

"H-Hello?" Awkwardly, he decided to try to speak up with the man. When the man did not speak, he took it as a cue to continue, "H-Have we m-met before?" Still, there's no reply. Thankfully, it was time to switch partner and he was again being swapped off by some other people.

* * *

The party had just go on for half an hour but Alfred already had enough of it. Those ladies who were trying to catch his attention were getting on his nerves. All of them are the same, trying to fake their personality and sugar coat him with sweet words in hope that he will make them his spouse.

"You're so handsome, Prince Alfred. Aren't I'm a perfect match with you?" One of the girls would say followed by the other who hair (Alfred swear) would have gone haywire, "Oh Prince Alfred, how lucky am I to dance with you." And then another with a bit too much of mascara, "Don't listen to them, I'm way better than them and I will take good care of you when you marry me."

He started hating it already! These young ladies are going to make him crazy. He was about to retire himself from the dance floor and leave for some private moment when he suddenly noticed someone that caught his eyes.

At the corner of his eyes over a distance away, he saw a person with short black hair, wearing a blue mask that has ornament that somehow resembles ice crystal dancing with certain man. He could not tell whether that person was a man or a lady. And that light blue clothing that person was wearing look so… unique to the eyes, as if he was flying. Alfred couldn't help but felt himself attracted to that person and vowed to get close to know more about that mysterious guest.

With caution, he led the lady into the midst of guest, waiting for the perfect opportunity to switch partner. Slowly, he led the girl close to that mysterious person. When the music signals the right time, he quickly shifted his partner. But his luck ran out, he ended up being dancing with another lady. He whipped his head around, only to see that person being whisked away by some other people. He mentally cursed himself while having to endure the entire dance party again.

* * *

Ivan was enjoying his time dancing with some ladies when suddenly comes to a time to switch partner. At a change of beat, he found himself paired up with a young man in a light blue kimono. At the first glance, his blood froze. No, it can't be… It can't be him, right?

The young man looked up at him. Though his eyes were hidden behind the mask, Ivan felt a pang of nostalgia in those eyes. "H-Hello?" The man greeted nervously. "H-Have we m-met before?" By hearing his voice, his suspect was being confirmed. Why is he here?

Before he can said anything to the man, the beat change again and he changed partner again. This time, his partner being Gilbert. "Hey, how long have we last seen each other?" The High Prince of Western Kingdom was wearing a black tailcoat with a silver mask on his face.

"Oh, it's only you, Gilbert." Ivan said with disinterest as the two continued to dance.

"C'mon, how can you ever forget the awesome me?"

"I don't forget you. Just that it stirs up the bad memories."

_Oh, so he still remembers Yao._ Gilbert thought to himself and tried to find a way so that he can Ivan can leave the dance hall. "Say, if you're feeling bad. Why don't let's have a drink?"

"Da, sounds like a good idea." Ivan smirked a bit and the two sneaked out from the group of crowd to where the food are served. Ivan picked out the best red wine and pour a glass for each of them. The two began to sit down and started drinking while idly chatting. It feels good, for Gilbert. He can finally meet and talk with Ivan again. He barely remember the last time they had their last conversation. Smiling, he turned around to see his brother was still on the dance floor with his lover. _So, West has already found someone he love._

While Ivan remained calm on the outside sipping his drink, in actual he is not. After meeting with that boy in blue kimono, he remembered those days where he was happy. He remembered that one and only boy whom he loved. He was Ivan's caretaker and they grew up together. Eventually, they fall in love and decided to run away so that they can have their own life. But then, before they could even fulfilled their dreams, tragedy happened and the boy left him heartbroken.

And he knew that it was too painful to fall in love again, because even if there is true love, it won't revive your beloved from death and you'll end up being all alone again. He was worried about Alfred. If that young man ended up worming into Alfred's heart, then Alfred will ended up with the same fate like him, being all alone and sad in the future. He was not going to let that happen, he don't want his younger brother to suffer the same fate as him.

* * *

Alfred has finally retired from dancing after unable to take those pesky ladies anymore. He walked to the balcony and gazed far away into the sky. The night was clear today, with a full moon and countless stars illuminating the night sky. It was a beautiful night, but things aren't just going right. He just can't find the right person, the person whom he will be happy with.

Looking up into the sky once more, he noticed one of the stars shining brighter than the rest. When young, his father told him that when you wish upon a star, your wish will come true. He didn't quite believe in this but when a person was desperate, he will do anything in hope for the better. "I wish to find the person whom I meant to be with. I asked for nothing, but just happiness."

Suddenly, someone knocked him hard on his back. "Ouch, w-who was that?" Alfred asked as turned around.

"S-Sorry…" That person apologize and Alfred recognized as the person whom he was trying to dance with just now.

"Uh, it's alright." Alfred could feel his face heated up and his heart began to beat rapidly. What's wrong? It's not like he had this feeling before. He finally get a good look of that person. Other than his (he judged from that person's voice) face, he looks small and petite. His skin was pale and unblemished, almost porcelain like.

"Are you Prince Alfred?" That person asked him timidly.

"At your service." Alfred said with utmost politeness, "would you like to dance with me?"

The man shook his head a little while smiling. "I would like to but I just don't like the crowd here."

"Then let's go elsewhere." Alfred said, offering his hand for the young man to hold. "I know somewhere where we can have our time alone."

Kiku never thought that he would really meet up with Alfred face to face. By the time when he realised it, it was too late. Luckily, Alfred didn't seemed to recognize him. It also surprised him that Alfred spoke so politely that he couldn't deny the prince offer.

He looked at the hand Alfred had offered him while hesitating. Slowly, he nodded his head and smiled a little, stretching out his small hand to take Alfred's.

Alfred then led him back into the ballroom but he did not pull Kiku into the crowd of dancing couple, instead he found Alfred taking him down a secret stairway that led them to the castle garden.

Everything in the garden was almost the same like the last time he worked here. The pond where they usually play was still there, as still as ever like the night reflecting the moon in the sky. Once Alfred made sure that no one was around, they sat down near the pond under the tree while enjoying the night breeze.

"Is there something bothering your mind, my highness?" Kiku asked gently once they calmed down a little.

"There's no need to call me your highness or Prince Alfred, just Alfred is enough." Alfred told him before gazing off into a distance. "My parents had this event in hope that I will find someone as my future queen." He explained, though Kiku already know most of it. "But I'm not interested in getting married."

"But isn't it tradition that a crown prince must be married before claiming the throne?" Kiku asked knowingly.

"Yes, but it's just that… If I want to get marry, I should at least find someone whom I love and be loved back, not just get married out of political reason, it won't be a happy marriage." Alfred said.

Kiku felt something tugged at his heart but he refused to show it. "Then, have you found someone you like?"

"No…" Alfred replied blandly. "There are either too annoying or too much to my taste." He said.

"It seems like you're quite picky." Kiku commented.

Alfred chuckled a little as he gazed afar. "Well, it's how love works. They said that love has no principle. And I guess it's true after all. Just like how I met you just now and I already felt something different on you."

What Alfred said made his heart skipped a beat, Kiku felt something hopeful tugging in him. "How do you mean? I'm being different?" As an answer, the prince reached out both his hand to hold Kiku's face so that they are looking at each other eye-to-eye. Kiku could feel his face heated up being so close to Alfred.

"You just reminded me of a friend. A friend whom I will no longer meet in the future." Alfred said softly. He released Kiku from his grasp and continued to gaze at the sky. "It was years ago when we were children and we would spend time playing together, and my brother too. But then, when my brother died. I was so sad that I shut him out and never see him again. By the time I realised what I had done, he was gone already."

"Are you still sad about it?" Kiku asked, using his sleeves to wipe the tears that were going to spill out from his eye.

"Of course, I cannot forgive myself for hurting him. If I was given another chance, I would apologize properly to him and treat him nicely again." The prince stood up from where he sat and approached the pond. "This pond… is the place where we usually play together when we were young. We would throw stones at the lake monster and splashed water among each other."

Kiku stood up as well and went to stand by Alfred's side. "If you're honest in your heart, perhaps he will heard you. Even if he did not come back, he was glad that you had finally let the past go. He must be wishing for your happiness all the time."

"I guess you're right." Alfred mumbled, Kiku turned back to admire the flower bush in the castle garden, its view can never compared to that of the North Kingdom. Alfred watched this young man walked around the garden like he has been here before. He wanted to know who this man was, wanted to know his name and take of his mask to see his true face. "Do you like the flowers?"

Kiku turned back and nodded his head as a reply. "It has been a while since I saw such a beautiful bloom." His hand unconsciously reached out to stroke a rose which was on full bloom.

The prince's eyes trailed the young man's elegant body. The light blue kimono he was wearing has the mosaic pattern of butterflies imprint on it, adorn with a matching blue sash. To him, this man was like a butterfly, elegantly fluttering among the endless array of flowers and moonlight, his pale skin tone illuminate in the dark, raven strands of hair reflecting the moonlight at different angle. He was so beautiful, for a man; beautiful, as if dancing amongst the flowers under the moon. It was sight to behold, _just so much like him_, he thought. Something clenched hard in his chest and he tried to fight the pain. What is this feeling? It's as if he wants to make this young man as his, only his, a strong feeling to protect him.

From the ballroom of the castle, there was a stench of melodious music flowing out to the garden. A gentle breeze blew over, sending leaves and flower petals twirling in the wind. On instinct, Alfred offered his hand in front of Kiku and made a small bow. "Will you dance with me?" he asked.

A small blush formed on Kiku's cheek. Sheepishly, he smiled and accepted Alfred's hand as Alfred led him to an empty space and began to waltz with him. As they danced, Kiku could feel nothing but emptiness beneath his feet, as if he was floating with Alfred, his prince charming. He really wished that this was real, being together with someone he loved but then he remembered that he was here just to see Alfred being happy. After that, Alfred would marry someone else and he will return to the North Kingdom as a servant again, where he will never be able to see Alfred again. It was sad but true, how he wished that this was a dream where he won't wake up.

By the time when the music stops and they finished their dance, it was almost the end of the day. "What time is it now?" He asked Alfred. The prince just shrugged, "Dunno, might be almost midnight already since the music had stopped playing." Then, it stuck him. Natalia had reminded him that it's best that he return to his chambers before midnight to avoid unwanted trouble (because he actually sneaks inside the ball and must not let people discover his identity).

"I'm sorry, Master Alfred." Kiku suddenly let go of Alfred's hand, he didn't even realised that he slipped his words. "Please excuse me, I have to get going now." He said as he tried to sprint back into the castle but Alfred got hold of him.

"W-Wait! Why such the rush? Where are you going?" Alfred poured questions on him as he grabbed hold of Kiku's wrist. Kiku turned back to face him, he then made a brave move by planting a kiss on Alfred's cheek. "It's getting late. I need to go back. We will meet tomorrow." With that, he released himself from Alfred's grip and ran back into the castle, leaving Alfred dazed on the spot.

Arthur and Francis were surprised that Alfred was not in the ballroom when it was time to bid the people for the night, which they were going to give him a lecture later. The rest of the royal family returned to their respective chambers with a rather dreamy state. Ivan couldn't help but noticed that Alfred appeared to be happier than he normally was during that night before going to bed. He could only hope that Alfred had found someone he loved.

* * *

Alfred definitely didn't have any feeling for that mysterious young man. He never had much thoughts of the man in blue kimono, ice crystal like mask and short black hair. To him, that man just resembled the person he once loved but that love can never return back to him. There's no way he can love another person because the only person he loved is Kiku, the servant who accompany him since young, and that person is gone forever. Still he found himself drawing towards the petite young man.

The next night was the same as usual. Alfred danced around with the ladies who went around showering him with fake praises and wooing in hope to captivate him. He can even remember how he can endure all of it. But what disappointed him is that he never saw the man from last night again.

Ivan was drinking at the dining table while Gilbert watched over him in worry like a mother hen. Ivan did not seem to mind at all, he had taken up drinking over the years when Yao died in hope to drown his sorrow and forget the painful past.

"Ivan, you shouldn't spend all your time in drinking. It's not good for your body." Gilbert said as he took the body of alcoholic drink out of Ivan's reach.

"I don't care. I just wanna drink." Ivan said in an almost drunken state. Gilbert shook his head. "Why don't let us go out and have some fun?" Crimson red eyes can been seen quirking behind the black mask.

"Sounds like a good idea…" Ivan said as Gilbert went to help him up and adjusted his mask which was askew.

* * *

By the time Alfred retreated from dancing, it was almost midnight already. Part of him wanted to run away back to his chambers to call it a day but his heart was still tugged with hope to see that mysterious man in beautiful kimono made of silk. His parents were still dancing among the crowd, so does Natalia and Ludwig.

A hand suddenly rested on his shoulders. He gasped, remembered that this was _his_ hand. He whipped around and found himself facing the mysterious man from yesterday. "Hey." He greeted.

"Sorry for coming late." The man made a bow before correcting himself. "I hope you enjoy having some company when I'm not around."

"I won't enjoy this event at all if you weren't by my side." Alfred said.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" The small man asked while lacing his fingers with Alfred's.

"I don't know. But shall we share some private moments?" Alfred asked him as he began to lead Kiku out of the ballroom.

"I'm fine with it." Kiku flashed him a dazzling smile as he let Alfred walked him to their destination.

As they walked, Alfred took his time observing the small man. He was wearing an ornate violet robes with floral patterns design on it. He even wore a matching pale pink mask that somehow resembled butterfly wings. The only thing that hasn't changed was the blue sash he still wore from yesterday night. Alfred did admit to himself that it was such a beautiful sight for a man. Whenever he walked, Alfred would imagine a pair of butterfly wings sprouted out from his back fluttering gently in the air as the wind whipped up cherry blossom petals like a storm, so tranquil, so magnificent…

They walked out from the ballroom and entered through some secret hallway to avoid being noticed by the servants. Alfred led Kiku to a room that was located at the very end of the hallway. There are no lights here, just dust that coated every corner as if it was forgotten by time.

Alfred opened the door and turned on the lights before gesturing Kiku to enter. Kiku did as what he was told and was amazed by how the inside look.

It's a music room. A large chandelier hanging in the middle of the ceiling illuminate every corner of the space. Albeit how dirty and dusty the outside look, it looks clean, not even a single dust can be spotted. In the middle of the room was a grand piano that shines under the chandelier's light.

Alfred went to sit on the piano bench, gesturing Kiku to sit next to him and began playing it. Kiku sat and listened intently to the melody Alfred delivered to him. He had never been exposed to music or some relaxation activity, so considered him quite lucky that Alfred was performing before him.

After a while Alfred stopped playing, but the music continued to fill around the space as if someone was controlling the piano. Kiku watched as Alfred stood up and held his hand before him. "May I have this dance with you again?" Kiku blushed a smile before taking Alfred's hand. Together, they began to sway to the music again.

Alfred had both his eyes locked on Kiku as they danced to the music. His eyes, they looked so distance yet so close. Can it be? Is this young man really the one designated for him? He realized that he had fallen for this young man, even that he just met him just yesterday.

_So, this is love…_ Alfred mentally thought to himself. The love he was looking, the person who meant to be with him…

"I enjoy a great time with you." When they parted, Alfred still held onto Kiku's right hand as he helped him back to the chair.

"You know, I usually don't attend to these kinds of activities." Kiku said, "It's because that I'm just a servant and servants are only allowed to stay in the background, not to attract attention."

A tinge of familiarity hit Alfred, isn't Kiku a servant too? Or can this be a coincidence? But then again, he remembered that the invitation mentioned that all young men and ladies of different classes are invited, so maybe he is also one of the servant in disguise of something.

"At first, I don't want to come here because it always reminded me of some painful memories of the past." Kiku continued to explain, unaware that he was slipping things off again. "But then, my mistress persuaded me to attend. And I guess she is right after all, I have met you and I am really happy. There's no other way I can enjoy my life like this."

A surge of protectiveness flooded Alfred's mind. He wanted to make this young man happy and protect him from the unhappiness he has been through. If his parent approved, he would ask for this man's hand in marriage and take him under his wing.

"This young man," Alfred gestures, kneeling down in front of Kiku and facing him eye-to-eye. "May I know your name?"

The moment when Alfred asked such question, Kiku panicked slightly in the mind but kept his composure calm. "S-Sorry, but I can't tell you that." He said calmly.

"S' okay, there's nobody here. You can tell me." Alfred said in hope that the man will tell him.

"No, I can't." Kiku stood up abrupty, his face flustered. "Tomorrow is the last day of the ball, you will find out eventually." He quickly distance himself from the prince. "It's getting late, I have to go. See you tomorrow." Hastily, he ran out of the music room and down the hallway before Alfred can even gave chase.

Alfred heaved out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, "Why am I so impatient? I must have scared him." He was about to leave when he suddenly noticed something being left on the piano bench. He picked it up to discover that it was a fabric made of silk… No, isn't this the blue sash that man was wearing just now. Did he forgotten it or left it on purpose? Just then, he noticed a piece of note attached to it…

* * *

As late night crept in, Ivan escorted Gilbert back to his own room. "I have a lot of fun with you just now." Ivan said grinning like a child, though Gilbert noticed some lies in it but can't place it where.

Gilbert rolled his eyes as he opened his room door. "Perhaps it was you who have fun, not me." He said sullenly. "I expect that you behave better as a prince."

Ivan had the nerve to ignore him and continued putting on his fake smile. "It's Alfred who should succeed the throne, not me. So I'm not in a hurry to get married. After all, the person I love is dead already and there's no point in marrying another."

"You still don't understand, do you?" Gilbert heaved a sigh in defeat. "Anyway, I will see you tomorrow." With that, he slammed the door shut.

Ivan wandered on the hallways alone. It's pretty late now and the lights in the hallway were dimmed but Ivan could care less. His thoughts soon wandered to Alfred who was searching for his future spouse. How can this be?

When Gilbert asked Ivan out, he agreed and the two princes walked out of the ballroom to head out of the garden. Ivan suddenly took notice of Alfred walking along with that mysterious young man in a kimono from yesterday. He seemed to be having a good time being with that man. It can't be! Of all the eligible teenagers, it had to be him?! _That's absurd_, Ivan told himself. Memories of the painful past flashed before him and it tore his heart whenever he thinks about it. _No_, he's not going to let Alfred go through the same thing he's been through. He has to do something…

* * *

On the third night, Alfred sneaked out from the ball when it was almost midnight time. He's going to receive another lecture from his father for sneaking out for the third time in a row while supposing to bid the guest goodnight but he will explain to them later. What matters now is finding about the mysterious man whom he fell in love with. Alfred hated to admit what he feels towards the man, though the person whom he should actually fall in love was Kiku but he couldn't deny what he was thinking when being around that small man.

Slowly, he took out the blue sash the man has left at the music room on the last night. He took a while to admire how soft and smooth the material is, like it's something familiar to him. There was a note being attached to the fabric.

**My prince,**

**Please forgive me for my behaviour towards you on the dance. I didn't meant to attract your attention or get you into trouble but there's something troubling me.**

**If you truly love me, please meet me at the centre of the garden around midnight.**

**Yours truly**

That person did not specify his name, maybe he wants to tell Alfred personally when it was the right time. Still, he wants to know about that mysterious young man and is not going to lose him anymore. Quickening his pace, he ran as fast as he could towards the garden.

It was five minutes before midnight when Alfred arrived the heart of the garden. He instantly recognized the man who had his back faced to him. The prince has to hold back his breath at what he saw, that man was wearing a plain silvery while kimono. In the faint moonlight, it appears as if he was shining in the night.

Two nights of interacting with the prince gave Kiku hope to be reunited with his prince charming. Alfred has expressed to him about his love towards his childhood servant which added another push for Kiku to get closer with Alfred. Soon, he realized that his feelings for Alfred is true after all. He did love Alfred, with all his heart and soul. And tonight, he's determined to tell Alfred everything.

Alfred coughed abruptly, which caused Kiku to whip his head towards his direction. "I received your message. And as promise, I meet you in the centre of the garden." The prince said handing the sash and the note back to Kiku.

"I'm glad that you came." Kiku smiled sheepishly. Alfred looked as handsome as always. He was wearing a navy blue tailcoat with a matching sea blue mask that seems to reflect the moonlight, which lightened up his sky blue eyes even distinctly.

"I came for you. Does that mean you will love me too?" Alfred asked as he flashed a childish grin.

"Not yet until you prove it to me." Kiku said, a cunning smirk spread across his face. He turned back calling out for Alfred, "Come and see this." Curiously, Alfred stood next to him and found himself standing in front of various flowers forming a heart shape.

"D-Do you remember this place?"

He searched back his past, trying to find traces of this place. But all he could remember was the night when he was presented to a maze made up of flower path. "I don't remember exactly, but I remember seeing a flower maze. A servant presented it to me."

Kiku smiled a bit at Alfred's answer, but he's not done yet. "Do you love what your servant presented it to you?"

"It may be simple, but I like it." Alfred smiled at him. "But then, if I had a choice, I love that servant even more than his present." Kiku perked up at what he had mentioned. "Do you really love that servant?"

Alfred nodded, a sad smile appeared on his face. "When we were young, we were friends and would spend time playing together whenever he was not working. But then, I shunned him away. By the time I realized my mistake, he was gone."

"What will you do if you were given another chance?"

Alfred sighed, why is this man asking about his other love interest? Is he putting him on a trial? Anyway, Alfred knew better to be honest rather than making up stories. "I want to find him back, apologize to him and shower him with love, perhaps more than before. Then I will propose to him and ask for his hand in marriage."

"T-That's… Really nice of you, Alfred…" Kiku said, somehow glad with Alfred's answer.

"Anyway, it's your turn now." Alfred suddenly spoke up. "Why are you meeting me here? Why are you asking me about my previous love while you act like you know everything? Tell me, who are you?"

On the cue, the clock suddenly stuck twelve in the midnight, meaning that the three day masquerade party has officially ended. Kiku chuckled a little before saying, "I guess it would be better if we see each other eye to eye rather than doing all the explanation."

Alfred perked up a bit, "Are you really going to tell me who you are?"

"The masquerade party is over, so we can take off our mask and see each other for the first time." Kiku said with a sly grin. "Why don't we took off each other's mask and make another introduction of ourselves?"

"Okay, if you say so." Alfred grinned back. He then bent down to reach the silver mask which the young man was wearing while Kiku did the same in undoing Alfred's mask.

Time seems to stop the moment when the masks were removed. "Master Alfred, it's a pleasure to see you again." The man, with his mask finally removed made an elegant bow before the prince while all Alfred could do was stare in disbelief.

It took a while for Alfred to recompose himself as he reached his hand to touch Kiku's cheek. "It… It can't be… Is it you, Kiku? Is this a dream?"

Kiku smiled up at the prince and reply, "You're not dreaming, Master Alfred. It's me, Kiku. I have come back for you."

Memories of the past flooded in his mind, remembering those times where he would play pranks on the little servant boy while the boy just let him be. No matter how much time he called Alfred 'master', Alfred would correct him to call him by just his name. He remember the night when they first shared their kiss in the garden and the day he first became a hero by saving the servant boy and bought him a beautiful piece of sash. It was until Mattie's death, he shut himself in his room and banished the boy from his side.

Kiku then felt Alfred's strong arms circled him and he was being carried by Alfred. "You have finally return, Kiku." He murmured before crashing their lips together. "I have been waiting for this day, to meet you again and to ask for your forgiveness. I'm so sorry for yelling at you, and I promise I won't do that again."

"I won't blame you, Alfred. I-It's just that… I'm so happy to see you again."

Alfred smiled and kissed him again. Kiku opened his mouth so that Alfred could slid his tongue inside and their tongue engaged in a dance. Laying Kiku down on the grass, Alfred began to plant kisses on Kiku's cheek, forehead and neck. As gently as ever, he began to undo the clothing on Kiku until he was nothing but bare.

Kiku shivered a little when he laid naked on the grass before Alfred as the cold night air prickled his skin. He hasn't got used to this, but he's not uncomfortable. He watched as Alfred began to plant love marks all over his body.

_So this is love_, Alfred thought to himself. _So this is what makes life divine. I'm all aglow. And now I know it._ He began undoing his shirt, revealing pack of muscles as the results of vigorous training he has been through. Kiku blushed at the sight of it, he was nothing in comparison but a fragile twig.

Alfred reached his hand at Kiku's entrance, pausing for a moment to get his permission. With a weak nod, Alfred inserted the first digit into his tight entrance, causing the smaller man to hiss a little in pain. Alfred kissed his cheek as an attempt to comfort him and inserted a second one. Kiku could feel nothing but bliss as he felt something hit the bundle of nerves that excites him. It was pain, but yet, pleasurable.

It was then when he realized that Alfred removed his fingers and was replaced by something even bigger. Kiku gasped a little as he tried to take in Alfred's large member.

Alfred smirked a little and he began to playfully tease Kiku's throbbing member, earning a pleasurable moan from the small man. He soon found Kiku's pleasure spot and began hitting it and Kiku winced a little as he twisted and dug his fingers into Alfred's arm. As pleasure sparks was reverberated in his body, Kiku was confirmed that his love for Alfred is returned, he has found the love he has been yearning for, his own prince charming. _So this is love_, he thought to himself. _My heart has wings and I can fly…_

"Kiku, marry me…" Alfred moaned as he thrust himself deeper, "I can't stand without you by my side. I don't want my life to be unhappy just because of getting marry to some noble ladies." _The key to heaven is all mine and I have to do it right._

"What if the people don't approve your choice?" Kiku asked, moaning in pleasure when Alfred hit his pleasure spot.

"Then let's runaway. I won't quit until I make you mine." He reached out his hand to pick a single rose that was not too far away from them and presented it to Kiku. "It's a promise, 'kay?" Kiku smiled and accepted the flower from Alfred, _I'll touch every stars in the sky_. "I will be waiting for you as you promised…" _So this is the miracle I have been dreaming of._

And so they spent the entire night doing their nightly activities over and over again until they were too tired to even move an inch. Kiku soon found himself lying among the flowers and grass with Alfred sleeping above him. The warmth radiating from the prince's muscular chest gave him comfort and kept him away from the cold. _So this is love_, he thought to himself again as he snuggled himself at Alfred's chest before drifted off to sleep.

xXx

And so, Alfred and Kiku had finally met and they fall in love. Awww… n_n Happy Belated Birthday America! After I finished the previous chapter, I was planning to continue writing my other novel when I realized that July is coming, that means America's birthday is coming! With that in mind, I started writing this chapter in hope to be posted up on Alfred's birthday, but I'm still a bit late. Anyway, I hope you all will like my present for America.

I think I might need some help here, mind giving me some advice or suggestion? I was thinking that whether I should post some omake featuring other pairings like GerIta, Spamano etc. or should I just continue to complete the story and come back with these side stories once the main plot is finished. I need your review in here. So please tell me what you think about the story arrangement, I would appreciate it a lot.

Do you think that Alfred can finally get his Happily Ever After? If you read through the chapter again, it seems like Ivan was not really happy about this. What will he do to break their relationship? Oooh, I'm so sadistic right now to make Ivan bad. Muahahaha…

I guess you are all familiar with this chapter's title, do you? The title is called So This is Love based on the popular Cinderella movie in 1950. I do a bit altering with the lyrics part, hope you all like it.

And last of all, here's the list of the characters' age at the present time:

Age List 2 (at time of present day story)

Francis - 43

Arthur - 41

Antonio -45

Ivan - 25

Gilbert - 26

Elizaveta - 44

Roderich - 44

Vash - 43

Liech - 38

Ludwig - 20

Feliciano and Lovino - 19

Natalia - 19

Kiku - 19

Alfred - 18


	15. Bonus Chapter (GerIta)

**One Last Fairytale (GerIta Bonus Story): We're Friends, Right?**

Since he was a child, Ludwig was always known to be a mysterious child at his age. Even his father, Crown Prince Germania can never fully understand his son at all. Ironically, his brother, Gilbert was way the opposite, loud and obnoxious and full of energy. He was just an abnormal boy who refused to speak even already at the age of two, and too quiet for his age.

Ludwig remembered clearly on the day when his father had gotten busy and rushed up and down, saying that there'll be guests coming over to their place. While Ludwig was being rather quiet, he's a good observant. He could notice some hint of worry in his father's eyes but he's not going to ask about it.

Later on that day, Ludwig was having his nap when he heard some noises upstairs which woke him up from his sleep. He could make out his brother's laughing sound as he played in their playroom, not like he's interested in it after all.

The young prince crawled out of his bed and slowly made his way outside. There are sounds coming from downstairs, Ludwig could only assumed it to be his father entertaining his guests. Too noisy, he thought to himself and walked down deeper into the hallway in hope to find somewhere where he can hide himself from the noises.

It was then the sound reached him. No, another sound, coming from somewhere else. He listened carefully, just how beautiful the melody is. The blonde prince walked down the hallway, trying to locate the source of the voice. An ornate wood door came into view and he could heard the sweet voices coming out from the room inside.

Slowly and gently, he twisted the doorknob and pushed the door slightly ajar and peeked into the room. There were two boys in the room and the both of them looked alike. But with Ludwig's sharp observant eye, he could differentiate them in no time. Both of them have dark brown hair, but one of the twin's hair colour has a reddish tint to it. Their hair styles were also slightly different, one has a curl on the left and the other's curl was on the right. They have different expression too, the boy with the right curl was frowning at the noise his brother made while the other boy ignored him and chirped on happily. It was then when he caught sight of that cheerful boy, and his heart made a very sudden leap. He don't know what that feeling is, but he is confident to meet up with the boy next time.

* * *

It was a cool December afternoon when Ludwig decided to have a little stroll at the garden. The leaves has long turned a hue of red and yellow and scattered all over the place. He walked down the garden trail, his feet crunching on the fallen leaves. His brother was playing around with a tall chubby boy with platinum blonde hair whom he could assumed to be one of their guests staying in the castle.

It was then when he noticed some adults walking towards the castle gate. They were all blonde, two men and a young woman. One of the man with spiky hair seemed to be quite… fat? The other man was wearing something like a wartime suit, as if he's ready to go to war while the woman clung onto him as if she was not willing to let him go.

"Hey look, that's Arthur." His brother called out. "It seems that they are preparing to leave. Let's go see them." Gilbert was about to take off running when he noticed his little brother not too far away.

"Oh hey, West." He greeted with a grin. "What brings you here?" He gently nudged the boy's hair. "C'mon, let go and see Vatti off." Holding his brother's hand, the boys headed off to the castle gate where both Germania and Roman were mounted onto their horse, weapons in hand ready to leave for the battlefield.

Ludwig remembered the very last time when his father carried him onto his lap. He never raise a voice and make a sound before. Even now, he still has yet to utter a single syllable of word. Ludwig regretted it, even until now. He regretted not saying a word to his father for the one last time, he regretted not giving his father one last hug before his father went to the battlefield. But he was just a child back then, and he could barely understand what his father was saying.

When High Prince Germania had left on his horse along with his troops, Ludwig could feel a sudden emptiness in his chest as he felt his brother gently squeezed his hand in comfort. He lifted his head to see tears glistening in his brother's crimson eyes. The Western crown prince had never cried even when being scolded or humiliated, because he claimed it to be 'so not awesome' when cry.

And then, they returned back to the castle. Gilbert let Ludwig joined other kids in the playroom. The room was in a big mess, children were scrambling all over the place with toys scattered all over the floor and some of them were crying, screaming, laughing… He don't like this at all, he just wanted to take a nap. Slowly, he walked along the walls and crawled onto bed so as not to get other children's attention.

But then, he finally saw it! The twins with brown hair and resembled their father, High Prince Roman. The cheerful of the twin is drawing and scribbling on papers with crayons while the other twin just watched with a frown. They did not realised that Ludwig was just above them on the bed, so he watched as the young boy made a big mess on his paper with colourful crayons.

Ludwig laid with his stomach pressing on the bed, watching the cheerful twin drawing a paper followed by another until his twin brother got bored and went off to play by himself. He did not remembered what happened the rest of the day, the only thing he remembered was that his brother mentioned the child's name to be… Feliciano.

* * *

The next day, Ludwig never saw his father again. Gilbert eventually delivered the news of his father's death in the war to him. He didn't show any emotions at all, but refused to accept the truth. When he was alone, he went off wandering in the dark hallway. He stopped dead in his tracks when he came into something familiar, his father's room.

Small little fists banged hard on the door but there was no reply. The small blonde prince reached for the door knob and twisted it open, only to find himself standing in the middle of the dark room. The bed was not made and papers littered all over the place, books on the shelves were covered in a layer of dust. At the sight of the place, Ludwig fully understood that his father was gone and he was alone. Unable to take it anymore, he knelt on the floor and breakdown, letting reality sank in, something so cruel for a young child.

"V-Ve…?" Feliciano let out a whimper as he walked on the dimly lit hallway. Just not too long ago, he and his twin brother were taken to the kitchen to drink some milk. Antonio was bringing the two child back to their room when Feliciano suddenly noticed a little cat in the hallway. Curious, the boy let go of his grip on Antonio and began chasing the cat. That was until he found himself alone in the dark hallway with no one as a company. He began to feel scared and wandered around aimlessly in hope to find a way out.

As he walked down the hallway, he heard sounds of someone crying. He noticed one of the doors was slightly ajar. He went to peek into the room and saw a boy of almost the same age as him, blonde hair and blue eyes, crying in the room.

Ignoring his fears, the little auburn hair boy approached the little Western prince. "V-Ve?" He stuttered and reached out a hand to pat the boy's blonde locks.

Ludwig looked up to see the boy whom he had grew attached too. The boy looked back at him with confused brown eyes. Ludwig wanted to turn away but the boy suddenly wrapped both his arms around his waist. He felt something jolt in him but he accepted it eventually. It was warm and comforting, like how his father used to hug him.

"Y-You sad?" The boy said in broken syllable. He flashed a smile at the boy and used his hand to wipe the tears away. "Don't cry… Smile." For once, Ludwig was stunned. How can this boy, so young but smiling all the time, as opposite of his brother?

The two boys sat on the floor and stared at each other for a moment. Feliciano don't know what to say in front of the boy, so instead he enveloped the blonde boy into a hug. "Don't cry, Feli hug you." Ludwig faltered a bit at the sight of the infectious smile that he could feel his lips tugging upwards too.

Ludwig didn't remember what happened after that. But he did remember that he took the little Southeast boy out from his father's room and led him to the garden. He remembered how the boy ran in the field of fallen leaves as fast as his small legs can carry him, the cool autumn wind blew over his auburn hair and his smile radiated in the sunlight, it was so dazzling. And for once, Ludwig felt a sense of security in this little boy.

Once the boys had gotten tired of running in the garden, they retired in a small shed at the corner of the garden watching the golden yellow scene. Ludwig suddenly felt the urge to reach out and grabbed Feliciano's hand. Nervously biting on his lips, he reached out his hand and held Feliciano's subconsciously. When he realised it, it was too late, and his face heated up. He expected Feliciano to shove his hand away but instead, Feliciano smiled back innocently at him and began running his hands over Ludwig's, radiating warmth from the contact.

"F-Fe…" It was then Ludwig remembered the moment his voice began to come out from his mouth. "F-Feli-ci…no…" It was hard in the beginning but he could barely feel embarrassed, and this is the only way he can express himself. Gathering all the courage he could muster, his mouth began to form words, voices coming out from beneath. "F-Feliciano…" his name, that was the first word he actually said in his life.

Feliciano smiled back and patted him gently on the head, he then pointed to himself while pronouncing the word, "Feli!" Ludwig didn't understand what the boy was trying to tell him, but he knew that Feliciano was happy with him. Mimicking the boy's motion, he used his finger to point himself too before telling the other his name, "Ludwig." And the word feels so strange whenever he said his name with his own mouth.

"Luddy." The boy repeated back and presented him a red maple leaf which Ludwig accepted it. "Luddy and Feli, are friends, right?"

Ludwig was puzzled by the fact. Friends, what was that word again? It sounds so warm and comforting, and happy too. Is this what it feels like to have a friend? Ludwig has never had a friend before in his life as he always shut himself away from people. Is that why his brother had gotten so happy because of meeting a new friend?

"Luddy, you Feli friend?" When Ludwig did not replied, Feliciano gotten worried, and a little sad too. Ludwig snapped at Feliciano's hurt tone and blue eyes gazed into a pair of beautiful innocent brown eyes, his auburn hair gave a glassy feature on his face.

The usually stoic boy felt his heart melted away and gave in to the boy's innocence. "J-Ja. Friends." Not willing to see the younger boy cry, he quickly embraced the whimpering boy into a hug in hope to soothe him. "Luddy is Feli friend." He had never felt so happy in his life before. He has made a friend! A true friend where he will keep on living.

Feliciano and his brother were no longer in the castle the next day when Ludwig went to find him. From what Gilbert mentioned, Antonio must have taken them back home as he prepared himself to ascend the throne as High Prince. Ludwig was sad but he's never going to show his feelings. All he could hope that god will let them reunite one day in the future.

* * *

Time flies faster than one could imagine. During all these years, Ludwig found himself increasing in height. Not only that, he spoke quite often (though still considered quiet to the people) and he learned many things. And then, memories of the boy in his dreams slowly slipped off his mind.

_Ludwig found himself on a horse galloping in the fields full of flowers and greenery. It was then when he heard voices of someone singing. He stopped in his tracks and listened intently to the beautiful yet familiar melody that lingered in the woods._

_Getting off from his horseback and tied it to a tree, he looked around in hope to search for the source of the voice. The young Western prince walked deeper into the woods and spotted a young lady with rich auburn hair tied up in a ponytail with a curl on the left side of her head. She has eyes of the same colour as her hair. _

_Ludwig gasped, awestruck at the girl's beauty, though he couldn't understand what caught his heart. He watched from his hiding spot as the girl twirled around and sang along with the birds. Ludwig wanted to get closer to the girl, but a vine caught his leg and he tripped._

_The song stopped abruptly as the said girl turned around and noticed Ludwig limping by the tree. She hurried towards him and helped him up. "Vee, are you alright, mister?" She asked him. Ludwig was about to answer her question but when he tried to stand up, he lost his footing and slipped into the nearby riverbank. The girl screamed as the current dragged him away._

Ludwig woke up with a start, only to find himself laying on his bed. Night has long crept in the sky with only the moon to illuminate his room from the window. Blank blue eyes gazed into the silvery moonlight as he contemplated his dreams. It was the same dream again, the one he had two years ago. What was that dream trying to tell him? And most importantly, who's that girl in his dream?

Ludwig remembered the day before he and his family left for Main Hetalia castle. His brother has been training the whole day with Roderich no matter how tired or how much time Roderich had took him down. He's just not going to give up until he scored a win.

"Why are you working so hard at your lessons all of a sudden, brother?" He asked Gilbert when they were finally going to turn in for the night. "Well, that's..." Gilbert thought for a moment before replying, "There's... Someone that I want to protect, West. Do you understand?" Ludwig nodded as his brother patted his hand reassuringly, "Good boy. Now come on, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, ja?" And the two of them went to bed.

It takes two days of travel in a carriage to arrive at the castle of Main Hetalia. King Arthur and King Francis welcomed them and had the servant ushered them to their room. Gilbert and Ludwig would be sharing a room, which was quite comfortable for them.

Once they had managed to settle down, the boys were given some free time around the castle. Ludwig decided to have a look around the castle since his brother was so busy in pestering that Ivan. He walked into a playroom where he met with two child who bears a striking resemblance to each other. There's also a young girl with platinum blonde hair and a small boy with short black hair. The twins were playing, one particularly was trying to pull up some pranks but the girl was undaunted at his tricks. The black-haired boy just sat near the window as he gazed out of it only to be disturbed by the loud twin.

Ludwig hurdled in the corner as he tried to avoid getting any attention. He just don't feel like getting along with these bunch of people. He listened intently as they talked about the past referring to the ceremony that the adults were attending in the grand hall. That was until when the loud boy sudden exclaimed his hunger and they herded off to the kitchen to get some food, he was left alone unnoticed. Once they were all gone, he ran out of the room and went to search for his brother.

* * *

On the day of the Crown princes' birthday, Gilbert helped Ludwig into his garment, which Ludwig found it quite uncomfortable. Usually, he won't attend such event and would shut himself away from the people but Roderich and Elizaveta said they need to give the visitors a good impression and he must attend since his age is allowed to. When they were done dressing themselves, Roderich and Elizaveta came to pick them up to the grand hall where all the royals would be greeting their guests.

Ludwig stood next to Gilbert as his family greeted the visitors that were invited to the princes' birthday. He watched as the people, in their glamourous outfit shuffled into the room one-by-one as they began filling up the ballroom. He almost fell asleep when suddenly in came the nobles of the Southeast kingdom.

Crown Prince Antonio greeted their hosts as he shook their hands. Behind him was two young girls whom the official introduces them as Princess Lovina Bonnefoy and Princess Felicia Bonnefoy. At the sight of the twins, Ludwig felt a sudden familiarity to them. He watched as Princess Lovina tugged Antonio's leg nervously as she scanned the unfamiliar crowd around her. A servant tried to serve her some drink but she turned it down and threw strings of dirty remarks at him, causing a scene. Antonio came up and apologized to them while taking Lovina under his wing. He could see some of the nobility scowled at the princess attitude, so un-ladylike.

The other girl, however, as Ludwig noted was quite the opposite compared to her twin. She greeted everyone with politeness and smiled the most dazzling smile that could charm people's heart. She went on talking with the people as if they had met for quite a long time. That was when Ludwig felt his heart skipped. He recognized that face, it's the girl in his dream! Her smile, her cheerful behaviour, it reminded him so much of that boy he met when he was just an infant. He remembered that day when he finally said his first word- his name, but he can't remember what that boy's name is. And he also has a grumpy, scornful twin, so does this girl? Is it just a coincidence or had he mistaken the boy (girl?)'s gender? He can't tell.

Ludwig was pulled out from his trance by a 'Ciao!' He turned around and met Princess Felicia eye-to-eye. Her eyes, Ludwig noted, was the same as his as he could remember, even her hair colour and that curl too, it all resembled him.

"Ciao, you must be Ludwig, right?" Felicia laughed a little as she placed her hand in front of him. "I'm Felicia, nice to meet you, ve." Ludwig pondered for a moment before he held Felicia's hand in his and felt sparks being sent over his body. "N-Nice t-to m-meet you, Princess Felicia." The young princess sent him a dazzling smile as she said, "Ve, you can just call me Feli." Feli? Isn't that the same nickname with the boy he first opened up with?

For the rest of the day, Ludwig spent his time together with the young girl. Felicia told her many things including her life, like how her father died in the war and memories of her beautiful mother and how her twin sister got into trouble. All those keep reminding Ludwig about the boy that kept him living these entire time, and he started wondering if this was just a mere coincidence.

* * *

At the end of the night, Ludwig sneaked out from his room to meet up with Felicia at the other side of the garden outside. Felicia was already waiting for him at the shed in the garden as she picked some flowers in the garden. When she saw Ludwig coming, she flashed a bright smile and approached him like a little bird. "Ve, you finally come, Ludwig." She then led him to a tree and they sat under it.

After quite a while, Felicia broke the silence. "Luddy, what do you think of me?" At the mentioned of the word 'Luddy', his memories stirred up again, reminiscing the time when the little boy called him Luddy.

"W-What are y-you saying?" Ludwig stammered.

The smile soon disappeared from Felicia's face and she looked down. "… Nothing…" She said barely in a whisper. "I-I just thought we could be friends…"

"Friends…" And it hit him, the first friend he had made in his life.

"Ever since I started wearing dresses, my friends stopped talking to me." Felicia ignored him and continued her rambling. "They had stopped being my friend because I'm a girl."

Ludwig blushed a little at the girl's confession but he also felt pity for the girl as she loses her friends. After all, why would her friends laughed her just because she wear dress? They look good, and beautiful on her, for him.

"Feli, do you want to listen to my story?" Ludwig asked, causing the girl to perk up.

"Ve, what is it? What kind of story?" Felicia asked excitingly.

"You know, you always reminded me of someone whom I met when I was just a young boy." Ludwig said. He then related the past where he met someone just like Felicia and how they became friends and all the things the Felicia reminded him of.

"T-That's… That's very nice of you, Ludwig." Felicia said in awe after Ludwig finished his story. "You're lucky to have such a nice friend."

"But Felicia, you can be my friend." Ludwig said. "Ever since that boy left, I have been lonely. Now that I had found someone I can confide to, won't you be my friend, even if it is just for a while?"

"Ve, you will really be Feli's friend?" Felicia asked, her voice a hint of excitement.

"J-Ja." The smile returned back at Felicia's face and she hugged him. "Grazie, grazie, Luddy."

* * *

The two little children walked hand-in-hand back into the castle since it has gotten late. Ludwig offered to escort Felicia back to her room. But when they arrived at the princess room, they stumbled into Felicia's fiery twin sister, Princess Lovina, her face was red painted with anger.

"Felicia, so this is where you have been to!" The other princess, almost a splitting image of her sister but with an opposite personality. Princess Lovina practically yelled the moment when Felicia came into sight. "Don't you ever go out so late at night! It's dangerous outside." She then noticed Ludwig and instantly recognized him as the boy whom Felicia talked to just now at the party. Anger razed up in her brow and she began spatting strings of cursing words, "You stupid potato bastard, what are you thinking you're doing here with my sister?! You better get your dirty hands off her or I'll kick your asshole!"

"Ve, sorella." From aside, Felicia made a whine, "Luddy didn't do anything to me. Luddy is my friend."

"F-Friend?" Lovina repeated the last word in confused before her face seemed to heat up. "Don't get yourself into trouble, Felicia!" She yelled back, "Don't forget what Antonio had fucking told us about our family! No one is allow to get close to us, or we will fucking be in trouble!"

"But Lovi, I just want a friend, ve…"

Lovina given up persuading her sister since Felicia had gotten so attached to the prince. "Fine, you can do whatever you want, just don't get yourself into trouble."

Just then, Antonio appeared at the hallway. "What's so noisy here?" He asked while stifling a yawn. "Lovina, why are you shouting in the middle of the night? You're disturbing everybody you know?"

"Oh shut up, you tomato bastard!" Lovina retorted back. "Felicia sneaked out late at night again, and this time she claimed to have made friends with that stupid potato bastard."

"You jealous?"

Lovina's face heated up again. "Of course not! I don't need a friend." She said and went back into her room and closed the door with a loud slam.

Antonio soon noticed Ludwig who was standing next to Felicia, he smiled an apologetic smile at the young prince while saying, "Oh, it's you, Prince Ludwig of the Western Kingdom. It's a good thing seeing you getting along with Felicia and I'm glad too." He thought for a while before he added, "Please don't take Lovina's words into your heart, Prince Ludwig. She had some… problem whenever it comes to her behaviour but she didn't mean any harm. I hope you can forgive her." Ludwig just nodded as a gesture that he understood. Antonio smiled back before he went to pick Felicia. "Now, now, Felicia. I know you're happy with your new friend but please don't do that again especially in the middle of the night. If anything bad happens to you, it will be a big trouble."

"Si," Felicia replied obediently, "Sorry Antonio, I promised I won't do that again."

"Alright, and I guess it's time you all get to bed. It's quite late already." Felicia yawned and she entered her own room. Ludwig walked all his way back to his room to find his brother sleeping soundly in his bed. He tiptoed into the room and crawled into bed while trying not to wake him up. As he laid on bed, he felt as if he was betraying someone but it's alright to be selfish once in a while. All he wants is just someone he could trust and confide to.

But then, the day they got together didn't last long, just like last time. Fate was cruel enough to force them to separate again and he was forced to forget that girl that lightened his days.

Not too long after the twins' birthday, Ludwig woke up to find a portrait being laid on his room doorstep. It was a beautiful portrait with him and Felicia sitting at the garden full of flowers by the lake. Someone must have drawn them as they sat idling at the garden. Not only that, there's a line of crooked words written messily at the bottom of the paper, it read 'We're friends, right?' Then, it hit him. He raced to the princess room only to find it unoccupied, they must've left earlier. He felt his heart sank again, as if he was being betrayed again. Why his heart does has to break everytime he has just met someone he could finally open up to?

Things did not go well after that. Ludwig remembered clearly the day when a mop of mad soldiers invaded the castle, killing everyone in the castle. It still terrified him when one of the soldiers took him as a hostage but his brother managed to save him, though the thought of his brother killing someone scares him too.

The adults did all they can do but there were still casualties. Two unfortunate ones, he heard, one of the princes and a servant boy were among the death. Many people grieved over their loss ones and for the first time, Ludwig actually saw his brother's crimson eyes glistened with tears.

And soon, the time for separation comes again. Gilbert left without saying a proper goodbye to his childhood friend and Ludwig felt that his heart was empty and hollow. Is this what it feels when someone important to you were no longer by your side? Ludwig can't tell the answers.

* * *

And now, here he was, standing at the throne next to his brother as they observed the dance taking place in the ballroom. Growing up would means responsibility. During all these times after the tragedy at Main Hetalia, Ludwig and Gilbert were thrown into lives of adulthood where they began endless training lessons to become the kingdom future ruler that they almost forget about that 'someone' that was once their world.

"Have you found any awesome people, West?" Gilbert asked from the throne he's sitting. Piercing blue eyes hidden behind silver mask scanned the ballroom uninterested and disgusted clearly on his face.

"Not anyone I like," Ludwig said, totally uninterested. He watched the adults danced in the spacious room, suddenly feeling that he hated adulthood. He never thought it would come so soon, his courting and engagement. Well, Roderich and Elizaveta has their own points after all, and he can't blame them.

"If it wasn't because of the kingdom and throne, I would have enjoy this party already." Gilbert said, as if he knew what his brother was thinking. It was true that they, princes of a kingdom need a spouse to secure their place in the throne so that their lineage can continued for the kingdom. But there's also a danger in it too, there are many people who were trying to lure the princes just because they wanted the throne and fortune. Of course, they just can't simply married someone just because that person has a very good etiquette or very good in managing things, like very people, they just want a chance to fall in love.

Ludwig shrugged at the burden that was on their shoulder. "I wouldn't be surprise." Then an idea struck him, "But didn't you said that you want to enjoy the time of your life, here?"

"Ja. Do you have an idea how to enjoy my time?" Gilbert asked sipping his wine.

Ludwig edged closer to his brother so he could whisper in his ear. "Just let us forget about work and all the marriage stuff we have to face and enjoy our night here, we can worry about the rest later. You said this is the time of our life, isn't it?"

A smirk spread across the West Kingdom High Prince face. "So, you wanna have a dance?"

"But I need a dance partner."

"Then I will be in it." Gilbert said, standing up from his seat. "It's just us tonight, so let's enjoy it." The two brothers held each other in their arms as they waltzed into the crowd. Soon, they got lost in the music, in their dreams and thoughts.

It was then there was a change of a beat and the dancers began to change partners. Ludwig did not paid attention too much until he realized that his brother was gone, off dancing with some other unknown people in the dance hall. And his partner was being replaced by a young man with auburn hair with a single curl on the left. He can't see his face, of course, being obstructed by a mask that seems to be made of flower petals.

"Ve, did we meet before?" The familiar voice echoed in Ludwig's mind and he felt something struck him. And then, he felt his heart leaped vigorously in his ribcage. What was this feeling? He never felt this since eleven years ago, can it be…

The music changed its beat again but they did not change partner, too absorb in each other. They didn't even realized when the music died down. Ignoring the crowd, Ludwig led the stranger to the border of the dance floor, slowly guiding him off the dance floor until they came to the balcony.

The two broke off from their dance and gazed into the night sky and the garden below. Ludwig then decided to break the silent, "Y-You look familiar…" He said nervously.

"Ve, I have the same feelings too." The young man said as he flashed a smile. Ludwig watched the boy intently, the same hair colour, even that curl looked the same too, and that smile… Isn't it… He just can't make it out anymore, Feliciano and Felicia, why they seem to be overlapping? Why he always get confused with the two of them? Are they the same person or just one of them is a fake? Or maybe the both of them didn't exist at all? Who's this young man that made his heart skip a beat like the last time? He just can't answer the questions.

"Why don't let's see each other's face? Maybe we can recognized each other better, ve?" The young man said as he reached for the knot that held his mask. Part of Ludwig wanted this but he decided to adhere to the rules and keep it a suspense until the end of the event. Quickly, he reached out his hand and hold the young man's arm. "Ve?" The young man stopped his motion and stared back at him in confused.

"The party is not over yet, so it's not the time to reveal your face yet." Ludwig said.

"But will you still be my friend even after I show you my face?" The man asked back, his voice full of innocence. Ludwig was puzzled by the man's statement. He looked into the man's auburn orbs and noticed tears glistened in his eyes.

"Friends? What's that?" Ludwig asked, that word sounded so familiar yet strange in his ears.

"You don't have any friend? That's very sad of you." The man continued rambled on, "Friends are people whom you can get along and be happy together."

Ludwig just listened intently to whatever the young man was trying to say. The word seemed to bring back the time where he almost forgot, the time when he spoke his first words, the time he learnt how to smile and be happy. "But… Does it matter if I be your friend?"

"I… I just don't want to be alone anymore." The young man said almost inaudibly. "The last time when I actually has a friend was so long ago that I can't remember much about him."

"What happen?" Ludwig asked, intrigued.

"That time, I was taken to this castle as well with my brother. It was one of the princes' birthday party, if I could remember properly. That was when I meet him, and we spent the whole day being together. On that night, we even sneaked out of the garden to have some fun." And again, Ludwig found the story to be oddly familiar to him as well.

The young man's face suddenly turned solemn as he gazed into the sky. "But after that, we left so suddenly, saying that it's dangerous if anyone knew about me and my brother. I was sad and wanted to see him for the last time but my brother said that person will just forget about me and forces me to leave the place before I can even said goodbye." Ludwig felt something stabbed him when the man related his story. "But he won't abandon me, right? He had promised to be my friend so he will always remember me that I'm his friend too, won't he?" The young man voiced his doubts, "Will he still be looking for me?"

As a reply, Ludwig embraced him as a way of comfort. "If your feelings for him is real, then maybe he's looking for you too. That's what friends are, right?"

"Ve, but I thought you said you don't have a friend."

"I had a friend too but that was a long time ago. A girl, to be specific." Ludwig leaned himself at the bars as he reminisced those days. "When I was young, I was lonely and rarely talks with other children of my age. Not that I care, but when this girl came into my life, she has become my world. She told me many things and how she felt lonely being left alone by her friends. So I promised to be her friend, but in the end she left me without a word as well. And I was left wondering if she will ever return."

"T-That's very sad too." The young man snivelled a bit at Ludwig's story. "But don't worry, I will be your friend, ve. You don't have to be lonely again."

Ludwig got stunned when he felt the young man embraced him and found himself returning it too. He started wondering all over the incident again. Is this meeting merely a coincidence? He had met three different people but of the identical behaviour and backstory, and they all made into his heart as he fell for them, only to break his heart again and again. He wondered if he had betrayed them by befriending another, or maybe he's still far from the truth. He can't tell.

They wished to hold each other like this as long as possible for the rest of the time but someone suddenly stormed into the balcony and pulled the young man away from him.

"So this is where you have been?! Once you got missing, you have really made me worried about you!" Another young man with darker brown hair and wearing a leafy green mask, appearance and built almost identical to that man, Ludwig assumed that he must be this man's brother.

"Ve, but I had a good time with him." The young man said trying to persuade his brother. The leafy-masked man eyed Ludwig suspiciously as if trying to judge him.

"He's just a stupid potato bastard!" That nickname, why does it sounds so familiar? "He'd better fucking get back inside here or the other stupid tomato bastard would be worrying about you too!" He said trying to pull the young man into the room.

"But darling, he seems happy being together with that potato bastard." Another man came in, also with brown hair like the duos but taller and wearing a brown mask that seems to be made of leather. "And I'm worry about you, my cute little tomate, you know it's dangerous to wander around alone." The man said in a drunken stupor.

"Chigi!" The leafy-masked man yelled under his breath. "You only come with me just because you wanna touch my ass!"

"That's because you're really hot and sexy." The taller of the man said as he leaned onto the grumpy man's shoulder.

"Ve, Fratello, he really loves you." The cheerful young man said which caused his brother's cheeks to flare up in red. "Bastard!" He yelled in anger and embarrassment. "Anyway, it's time to go back! The party has ended already!"

"Oh, but my love, I still wanna dance with you." The 'tomato bastard' said in a sing song voice. "Just shut the fuck up and get going!" Looks like that man isn't going to give way. Angrily mumbling something about 'stupid tomato and potato eater' before he came to drag the tall of the man out from the balcony. "And you better fucking come along too, if you don't want to get into trouble!" He said to the young man before leaving.

"I guess we have to say goodbye for today, ve." The young man said. "Goodnight, Luddy. See you tomorrow." He said in an almost charming way that he did not noticed his words had slipped.

"Ja, guten natch." Ludwig bidded him. Then the man did something surprising to him, he leaned in and planted a kiss on Ludwig's cheek. Ludwig was shocked by this outcome but when he regained his senses, that young man had left the balcony.

* * *

The portrait years ago laid on the table. Ludwig had framed it and he brought it with him wherever he go so he could always remember the girl in his life while imagining how she would look like when she grow up. Come to think of it, the boy in his dream, Princess Felicia and that mysterious man seemed to merge together as if they were one piece. But no, it can't be. They were different people.

Piercing blue eyes fell onto the portrait as he ran his hand on the wooden frames. At the bottom of the portrait was the words, 'We're friends, right?' It has blurred with time but Ludwig remembered every single word and how it was written. He had promised to be the girl's friend, she will still remember him, won't she? "Feli and Luddy are friends, right?" The boy in his dream sounds so real, somehow Ludwig had the feeling that they will meet again.

"West, it's time. Let's get going." He brother knocked gently on the door as he spoke. "In a moment." Ludwig answered back. He made sure his suit was in good condition before taking the mask that was on his dressing table. He met his brother outside and strode down the halls together.

The dance went on as usual during the entire night. Ludwig sat at the side of the ballroom as he watched men and women danced to the music. Taking a sip from his wine, he saw his brother sitting near the dining table trying to persuade or talk to a certain tall man with platinum blonde hair as the man drown himself with endless bottles of alcoholic drinks. Ludwig knew that his brother wished to reunite with the person he cared for while trying to mend and complete the fairytale he wished to end with a Happily Ever After. He too, found himself in the same problem like his brother. All those time he heard of his brother telling him endless stories of his heroic father whom he did not remember much and all the stories would end up being a happy ending and his father will always be the winner. Only at his last battle, his father was gone, but his efforts were not wasted as the people finally live happily ever after.

His only wish, is to have his very own Happily Ever After. He wanted to know who the person he meant to belong was and whom he can spent the rest of his life with. He knew that he was on the verge of breaking the rule, but he can't wait any longer. He just want to talk with that young man.

"Ciao!" Ludwig was shocked for a moment when someone suddenly hugged him from behind. He quickly whipped his head backwards and sighed in relief when he saw that it was the man from yesterday. "Oh, so it's you." Ludwig said calmly.

"Ve, why are you sitting here alone? You should enjoy the party." The young man said cheerfully.

"You want to dance?" Ludwig asked him. The man flashed him an infectious smile, "Ve, I would love to." And so, Ludwig led the young man into the dance floor and they began to sway to the music.

* * *

By the time they stopped dancing, midnight was already at bay and the music ended. Instead of bidding each other goodnight, Ludwig led the young man to the garden outside so that they can spend some time being alone (rather not getting trouble from this man's over-protective brother).

"Ve, it's such a beautiful night." The man chirped as he walked in the grassy lane. "And I remember this place." He said as he spun and danced among the grassy terrain.

"You have been here before?" Ludwig raised an eyebrow and asked him.

"Si, I met my prince here on the night and that's the best day ever in my life." The man said. "Just like what I said before, we just met for a very short time and became friends and then I was force to be separated from him." This piqued Ludwig's interest even more. He also remembered that night when he sneaked out to see Princess Felicia in this spot too, where the beautiful oak tree stood witnessing their promises.

The young man ignored the stares from the Western Prince as he began to sing a song in a low but sweet voice.

_I wonder, I wonder,_

_I wonder why each little bird has a someone_

_To sing to, sweet things to._

_A gay little love melody._

_I wonder, I wonder,_

_If my heart keeps singing, will my song go winging_

_To someone who'll find me_

_And bring back a love song_

_To me_

Ludwig walked behind the man as he listened to the young man sang his gay little love song. "Have you found someone you love?" He asked out of the sudden, disrupting the song the man has been singing. "Or maybe that prince you once met?"

"I like him. We are friends." Was the man's curt reply, "In my dream, he was tall and strong. We met, like, in this place. We talk and talk and then I say goodbye, he takes me into his arm…" Until this, he stopped talking and frown again, as if reminiscing the sad moments. Ludwig found it surprising that he almost had the same dream with her, just that he was a young boy.

"I had a dream too." Ludwig said, trying to lighten up the mood. "I dream that I was a little boy running in the field. Then I met someone, two people to be exact, a girl and a boy, they looked identical. They said they are my friends and we played together."

"T-That's… Very nice." The man said. "They said if you have the same dream every time, it will come true. I wonder just when my prince, my friend will return."

"And I was wondering when I will see my friends." Ludwig said as if it was a song. "But I guess, it doesn't matter now because I already met another friend."

"Ve, you are right. And I had also met a prince too, just like those years." The man smiled again and continued singing his song.

_I know you_

_I walked with you once upon a dream_

_I know you_

_The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam_

_And I know it's true_

_That visions are seldom all they seem_

_But if I know you_

_I know what you'll do_

_You'll love me at once_

_The way you did once_

_Upon a dream_

The man sat down by the trees and began picking some flowers around it. Ludwig followed soon as he watched the young man began to make something like a flower ring with the flowers while continued singing. He soon felt himself falling into the song as well and let himself carried away. As gently as ever, he held onto the man's hand and sing along.

They don't know how long they had spent sitting under the tree holding each other like that. Just as the flower ring was about to be done, with just one more flower to bind it up, but there were no more flowers around the tree. He looked around his surrounding and noticed a big beautiful night blooming cereus that grew on the bark of the tree. It would make a perfect one as a finishing touch for his flower ring.

"Ve, can you give me a hand?" He asked Ludwig. "I need to get up that tree to pick that flower." Ludwig just nodded and lifted him on his shoulder. "Ve, it's so tall up here." The man exclaimed as he reached out to pick the cereus. He managed to pick it but the inclination caused Ludwig to go off balance and the two of them ended up falling onto the ground.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?" Ludwig quickly sat up and went to help the man, only to realise that both their masks had fallen off and their faces were revealed. He could only gasped at the sight of the young man. Can it really be him?

"Ve, I'm alright." The man stood up with the cereus in his hand. He turned to look at Ludwig and widened his eyes when he saw Ludwig true appearance. "Ve, you're Luddy?" He asked back.

_Luddy?_ Isn't that the name he heard long ago? "H-How do you know my name?" Ludwig took a caution step backward.

"Don't you remember me, Luddy? It's me, Feliciano." And then, Ludwig was struck. This boy, Feliciano? He does resemble the boy in his dream but he never remember much, is he really mean to be with him? As he moved, something dropped off from his coat. Feliciano saw it and went to pick it up to find that it was a picture of something. Ludwig was trying to stop him but he ignored Ludwig and looked at the picture for a moment before jumping in joy as he tackled himself onto Ludwig for a hug.

"Ve, it's really you, Luddy. I knew you're my prince." He exclaimed while hugging him.

"B-But y-you…" Ludwig pointed a finger at him before stuttering, "A-And that girl… y-you know… T-This p-portrait?" He eyed Feliciano in a confused manner.

"Don't you remember?" Feliciano frowned and asked. "Feli and Luddy are friends, the best friends." He repeated the vow they made when they were young.

Memories of the past flooded in his mind as he remembered all those short but sweet little moments they spent being together, his first word, his first friend… All of them, it was him, it was HIM, but he just don't understand, about the princess he met last time…

"You must be wondering why I dressed as a girl last time right?" Feliciano asked, as if he knew what was in Ludwig's mind. "After my father had died and everything had settled down, Antonio made me and my brother to cross dress as girls in order to protect us. He said that we're a pair of very special twins, known as half-blood and it was also rumoured that the late king of Main Hetalia hated us and was setting off to kill us like how he did to one of our brother Francis."

"Then why didn't you tell me before hand?"

Feliciano smiled a forced smile before he continued, "Antonio actually kept the reality away from us, so that we won't simply spill it all out, to keep us safe. When he realized I had feelings for you, he decided to leave back home because he don't want to risk our identity being revealed and gotten in danger." He smiled a little thinking about how oddly protective his half-brother Antonio could be.

"Is that because your friends ended up rejecting you because you're a girl?" Ludwig asked, concerned. Feliciano just shrugged his shoulder and continued, "Can't blame them. Antonio has been protective of us since our father died and he wanted to keep us away from the public as much as possible."

"Your father?" Ludwig asked questioningly, this boy also lost his father at a young age. It was really surprising that he can still be laughing and remained cheerful all over the place.

"The late High Prince of Southeast Kingdom, King Roman Alfonso Carriedo. Though my last name follow my mother, he gave me the name as Feliciano Augustus Bonnefoy, just like my half-brother Francis." Feliciano told him. "Antonio told us that father was good friends with High Prince Germania from the West Kingdom and he's a very good fighter. He also said to let me handle in trades and culture of the kingdom when I grew up because of the artistic talent I inherited from him." He added.

"It's a sad thing that you don't get to spend much time with him." Ludwig commented.

"Ve, he might never be part of my life or I may not have much memories about him. But I knew he was alive, somewhere very far away watching us, just like how he will live forever in my heart." Feliciano said brightly. "What about your father?" He suddenly asked Ludwig.

"My father is High Prince Germania, your father's friend died when I was young, like yours." Ludwig replied. "At first, when my brother told me, I refused to accept it but that's when I met you and you comfort me." He smiled a small smile at Feliciano. "And I realized that there's still someone for me, even when my father had died. And I will shower the person I love with endless happiness, even if it means getting drunk and fight like my father with High Prince Roman."

"Hehe," Feliciano giggled a little, "Aren't we just like our fathers, ve?"

"I guess so." Ludwig said in humour.

"So Luddy," Feliciano called Ludwig by his nickname as he looked up at him with shiny auburn eyes, "Will you still be Feli's friend?"

Ludwig could feel his heart increase in beat as he felt Feli closed their distance and watched him with brown eyes full of expectation. Gently, he cupped Feli's face in both his hands and said, "We're… more than friends now, Feli." With that, the two shared their first kiss under the moon, the flower ring that now rests on Feli's head seemed to glow under the moonlight, especially that beautiful cereus. "Just… Please don't leave me again." Feliciano gave him a reassuring hug and smiled a dazzling smile at him, "I won't, I promise. We can be together now."

They hugged and kissed for a moment when they suddenly realised something. "Ve, w-what time is it?" Feliciano asked as he suddenly jumped from Ludwig's grasp. There's no way for them to tell the time but they knew instantly that it was late, very late. "We have to go back."

"Ja, let me walk you back." Ludwig offered. He wanted to let Feliciano moved ahead first but Feliciano suddenly stood still. "Feli, what's wrong?" Ludwig asked.

"Ve, Luddy, my shoelace has loosen…"

* * *

And came the third and last day of the masquerade ball. Ludwig watched as his brother attempted to calm his 'lover' with amusement. A pair of arms suddenly circled him from behind. "Feliciano." He said softly, recognizing the shorter man immediately.

"Ve Luddy, how have you been feeling?" Feliciano chirped happily.

"Fine… I guess." Ludwig said. He then turned around to face Feliciano and bowed. "It's the last day of the party. Would you have this dance with me?"

"Of course I would dance with my Luddy." Feliciano smiled, his eyes shone with happiness behind the mask. "After all, this may be the last day of the dance but our love has just begun." He accepted Ludwig's offer and Ludwig spun him into the dance floor.

"Ludwig," Feliciano asked when they were in the midst of the dance. "Ja?" Ludwig raised a questioning brow. "W-Will you s-still be my friend even i-if we are in love?"

"Of course I will." Ludwig said without hesitation. "Because I know you, like a once upon a time."

xXx

I hate writer's block, I hate university assignment, I hate friends that talk too much but most of all I hate my university nightmare. Yeah, it's the middle of the semester and practical, project, assignments, homework and tests are piling up into a heap. And I ended up having trouble writing my story here. Grrr…

And so here it is, a bonus chapter featuring GerIta fluff. It took quite the time for me to finish it. It was quite lengthy (and somewhat a blabbermouth too…). GerIta is not quite my favourite pairing, but I found myself liking Gerpan instead. No offense, GerIta fans, and the story may not be good or nice to read, just hope you like and enjoy reading it. I appreciate your attention and reviews very much.

If you remember from several chapters from before, Ludwig was actually produced when Germania got drunk and fucked up a certain lady, which may make Ludwig being quite strange as compared to other children. Feliciano is also Francis and Antonio's half-brother (same father with Francis but different mother, though their mother were sisters). And I had a hard time thinking about Roman, Feliciano and Lovino's middle name. I decided to go with their last name as Carriedo since Antonio is in line to the throne, that gives his name a larger role. Hope you all are satisfied with it.

The title is based on **Memories of Hetalia: We're Friends, right?** composed by HeroicPlight and the story idea basically came from Sleeping Beauty and the story of Pastaaddict.

Next chapter we might continue a bit with the storyline. What will be Ivan's reaction when Alfred told him his love? There will also feature some other side story like Spamano and LietBel coming soon. So please stay tune.

**Aiciel**: Thank you for the critics you voices from the story. Truly speaking, I didn't manage to write the second attack well and detailed enough, especially the characters' emotion during the attack. And about Yao and Ivan's relationship. Yes, Ivan did indeed made a forced relationship with Yao because he believed that sex is a method of expressing love (from what he learned from Arthur and Francis' relationship and his 'yandere' behaviour and he's still young at age). Yao practically agreed to be in a relationship with Ivan just to satisfy Ivan for the time being. He loves Ivan but knew that he can never be with him and someday Ivan will find someone whom he truly loves. Next, about Kiku's relation with his brother, Yao. Kiku did love his brother and is also sadden when he knew that his brother was dead but he just choose not to show his emotion in front of people (Japan has good ability in hiding his emotions and is also more mature) and cared for Alfred instead because Alfred was the other one closest to him besides his brother. And a servant is not allow to show any emotional outbreak or throw tantrums in front of people, not only it will cause them trouble but bad impression to their master too, so that explains why he never behave like Alfred does. And yes, I also sucks at writing Gilbert trying to comfort Ivan. He's actually trying to convince Ivan about the truth but Ivan was too deep in his sorrow to actually listen to him. And the tragedy is not Gilbert's dream sequence, it's actually Natalia's dream, Gilbert just do what he thinks he should do to protect the ones he truly love but somethings still goes out of control and ended up depressing Ivan. Don't worry about that, there's still another chance where Gilbert can finally prove his feelings for Ivan and make Ivan realized that he had his own happy ending. So please be patient while I make progress. I'm glad that enjoy the overall story, the plot will be rising again soon.

**Everlasting-luv**: Thank you for reading and liking this story. This is not any of a new chapter but I hope you will like reading the romantic moments between Feliciano and Ludwig.


	16. Chapter 14

**One Last Fairytale: Something That I Want**

The next day after the ball, Ivan notices Alfred walking down the hallway to the dining area while humming to himself. For some reason, Alfred seemed to be in a good mood today, from how he behaved today. That could mean two things, either he just literally enjoyed the ball or it can be more than that. He was about to follow Alfred to the dining room when he felt someone tugged at his arms.

"Sup' dude, have an awesome dream last night?" The High Prince of the Western Kingdom greeted him while showing his trademark grin, crimson eyes gleaming and beaming at him.

"Sorry, but I don't want to talk to you right now." Ivan huffed and tried to swath him away. This caused the grin to fade away instantly from the albino's face.

"I'm worried about you!" The Western prince yelled back. "You have been drinking the whole night that I thought you'd have a hangover!"

"I don't need your pity." The younger of the prince replied coldly, "I have taken up that habit quite a long time ago." Gilbert, however, do not look convinced.

"Even if you had taken it for a long time and you had gotten used to it, it was still not good for you." Gilbert rambled on like a worried mother hen. "I know how you feel and I understand the all the difficulties you have been through, but it's not good to just keep mourning the past. You are just wasting your life."

Ivan shot him a dark and cold gaze, that creepy aura began radiating from him. "There's nothing else for me in my life, what could I expect?" He questioned the High Prince, sending chills down his spine. "I'm only living for the sake of Alfred. Once all this is over, I might reach the end of my life's journey."

"T-That's not true!" Gilbert said, even though his voice was quivering. "There's always something else for you. You just haven't seen it."

The elder prince of Main Hetalia ignored what he said and walked past him down the endless hallway. "You will never truly understand at all." His cold voice tone echoed in the hallway, "The pain of losing someone you treasure the most has left a scar that can never be erased no matter what."

Gilbert just watched the prince lonesome figure disappeared in the hallway. Somehow, he just wished that he could alleviate the pain of the scar that had inflicted on Ivan. Or is it Ivan has still yet to realise his feelings? He can never tell…

* * *

Meanwhile…

Alfred stepped into the dining hall, his clothes straight and his posture full of confident. His father was already inside the room waiting for him. They seemed to have noticed something was off seeing their son was behaving a bit off usual, but decided to speak about that later.

"Good mornin', papa, dad." The prince greeted them heartily and took his seat opposite to them as the servant brought in the food to be served.

"It's good morning, you must say your word properly." The usual scowl appeared again on Arthur's face as he grumbled on. Francis had a little mischievous smile on his face as he said, "My, you seemed to be on a good mood, _mon fils_." Arthur's mood, however, did not lighten at what his husband said at all. "Putting that aside, I need to have a serious talk with you." Alfred gulped at the stern tone in his father's voice, making Arthur angry is the worst thing to happen on the list. "D-Dad, I-I can explain…" Alfred stuttered, but Arthur just cut it off.

"Enough of all that stupid explanation you have, this is something serious!" Arthur silenced him and continued rambled on, "You have been absent from the ball every night when we are supposed to bid the guests goodnight. Just where have you been? Are you up to some sneaky things again?"

"I-It's not like that." Alfred said, trying to keep his stance. "I-I had found someone I l-like, I just went off to spend some private time with him until I realised that I-I missed everything." He tried to make up with a proper explanation.

"And? Is that it?" Arthur questioned back, raising his eyebrows while crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You know how people would imagine you to be, leaving the ballroom in the midst of the party and then not there to greet the guests. People won't be happy if you don't behave properly."

"Oh cheri, cut it off. Doesn't the way he behaves is just like our first time?" Francis cut Arthur off as he teased in a mischievous way. For once, Alfred swore that he saw a tinge of blush coloured his father's face as he tried hard to hide it.

"Oh shut it up, you bloody frog. That was a long time ago and we do it not just because of love, it's because someone is trying to stop us." Arthur shot Francis a glare before he turned back to Alfred. "But you," he said motioning at Alfred, "You behaved far worse than me when I was young."

"But because you force me into marriage and I don't like it." Alfred whined. "We didn't force you to marry but you're supposed to find your future spouse in the ball. And yet, on that last night in the ball, not only you're not present, the counsel are also furious that you didn't find yourself a spouse for the future." Arthur rambled on, which makes Alfred felt wronged.

"I didn't mean to be absent and I'm sorry. But do I really have to get married soon?" Alfred asked, his voice appeared to be pleading for sympathy.

"It's tradition that the Crown Princes has to find himself a future spouse and get married when he was eighteen and before nineteen." Francis informed Alfred like he read it from a book, his mischievous voice no more but seriousness. "We're worried that if you don't find a spouse sooner, it will give you a bad impression for the counsel and citizen, thinking that you are a person with no love." Arthur added on, "And in order to prevent that from happening, we will have to pick a future spouse to marry you. In other words, an arranged marriage, but surely you don't want it, do you?"

"Of course I won't. You all had told me, marriage out of political reason bring no happiness at all." Sky blue eyes shimmered with determination as he struggled to prove himself. "And a marriage can never be completed if there's no love and happiness in it."

Both High Kings nodded their head in agreement. "I believe you had the right to pursue that happiness if you really want it." Francis stated. "You should try to find yourself a spouse and introduce to us before time ran out, or you'll ended up in an arranged marriage."

"B-But, I had already found someone I like!" Alfred announced aloud, cutting his father's voice. Arthur and Francis stopped their sentences halfway upon hearing Alfred's revelation. "I met him in the ball a-and… We fall in love…"

"Excuse me?" Arthur blinked his eyes in disbelief, but hope has begun to tug in his heart.

"I-I said that I had finally found the right person I want to marry." Alfred said it, clearly this time. "That's why I spent too much time with him during the night and ended up forgetting to bid the guest."

"My, my, now you sounded like a love sick boy, Alfred." Francis teased as he winked. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"Putting that aside, who is that person? We need to meet this whoever it is to approve whether he or she is suited enough to have your hand in marriage." Arthur questioned on but Alfred put it on a suspense. "When the right time comes, you will know." Arthur and Francis don't seemed to be happy at Alfred's answer, but they don't want to force him to tell them so all they can do now is just be patient and wait for the right time.

* * *

Kiku was at outdoor helping Natalia doing some chores when he witnessed Alfred practicing swordsmanship with his brother Ivan. It was a good weather today and Kiku was glad that Natalia had chosen to stay in Main Hetalia for a good two weeks just because she wants to spend some time with her father. He too, was happy with this decision, he missed being in Main Hetalia and he could get together with Alfred as well.

Kiku continued on with his chores as he hanged the garments and clothing on the hanging wire. That was when the wind blew and send one of the cloth flying in the air. Kiku quickly chased after it and found it landed not too far away from where Alfred was practicing. He was about to bend down and pick it up but his back ached that he tried to bear a little longer while trying to pick up the cloth.

"Hey, you okay?" But before he can reach the cloth, he felt a pair of strong arms pick him up. He turned towards the voice to notice that it was Alfred. "M-Master A-Alfred?" He stuttered and blushed in shyness.

"Kiku, are you alright?" Alfred asked and Kiku just nodded. The prince then helped him picked up the fallen cloth and handed it back to him. Kiku gratefully thanked him while Alfred gave him a smug and a grin before they returned back to their own chores.

After finishing hanging the clothes, Kiku sat from a corner admiring Alfred practiced fighting with Ivan. It's not that he's slacking off but he just wants to see Alfred. Alfred noticed him when he was in the middle of a duel and waved at to him. In the sunlight, the sweat appeared to have glistened, showing the muscles he had developed from past years of training. Somehow, Kiku was a bit jealous. Alfred continued on his training but would occasionally turned back to look back at Kiku, until Ivan stabbed him lightly on the arm when he wasn't paying attention. This made Kiku skipped his heart a bit. He wanted to rush and help Alfred but out of all times, Natalia called out for him. Having no other choices, he went off to tend to Natalia instead.

* * *

_It can't be… This can't be happening, right?_ Ivan tried to convince himself that this was just an illusion, but seeing how Alfred behaved towards that servant boy told him something was beyond his imagination. _Why Alfred choose him out of all people?_

The moment when he saw a servant trying to get the cloth that was being carried by the wind. Alfred immediately went up to help him. Ivan knew his eyes weren't lying because he saw Alfred's hand went to help up the boy and picked up the clothing for him. And what makes Ivan furious was that Alfred was making that silly smile at him! Just what he'd think he's doing?!

Both princes parried side-by-side as if they are really engaged in a swordfight. Ivan noticed Alfred's eyes would dart off elsewhere and his gaze would softened a second before returning to his fierce fighting stance. They continued on their duel for several rounds. That was when Ivan noticed the familiar servant standing at a corner watching them battle. So that was what Alfred's attention is on! He gritted his teeth in anger, he won't allow this to happen, not on Alfred! By anger, he accidentally struck Alfred on the arm when Alfred's attention diverted to that servant whom he no longer remembers the name.

"Urg…" Alfred winced a bit in pain as blood seeped out from the cut. Ivan quickly went up to help him before lecturing him. "You're not paying attention again."

"Sorry…" Alfred said softly before standing up. "I guess I will have to retire for today." Ivan nodded his head in understanding and Alfred took his leave. Turning around, Ivan's mask began to fade away and covered in a dark aura. He's not going to let Alfred suffer the same thing as he did.

* * *

Later that night after dinner, Alfred had a secret meeting with Kiku in the garden's secret spot. The moment when Alfred arrived, Kiku fumbled over the wound Alfred had during his training.

"I'm fine, Kiku, just a scrape." Alfred smiled trying to reassure him. The servant, not convinced, rolled up his sleeves and inspect the red gash that spread over the prince's arm. It didn't look bad but Kiku knew better.

"The wound would have spread if you didn't take proper care on it." Kiku said as he used a bandage and some disinfectant he brought along to help Alfred bandage the cut. Alfred just smiled dreamily as he let Kiku helped him with the bandage.

"Why are you making that face?" Kiku asked the moment he noticed Alfred's expression. Alfred snapped out from his trance and went to cup Kiku's face in his hands. "It's nothing. I'm just happy being together with you and you really looked beautiful." Kiku blushed slightly as he let Alfred kissed him in the face.

"Alfred, I know we love each other, but are you really going to choose me as your spouse?" Kiku asked after Alfred let go of him. "I'm sure that there's someone else better than me and more suitable for you." The servant fiddled with his clothes, thinking about Alfred how Alfred leaving him made him sad.

In response, Alfred reached out his hand and entwined his fingers with Kiku's. "Then tell me, will you be happy when I married someone else?" He asked, Kiku didn't said anything but shook his head. "The same is for me. How can I be happy when I married someone else but you?" Alfred said as he gazed into the night sky. "You're already perfect for me. There's no one else as good as you. I like you more than anyone, your voice, your looks and all you have."

Kiku remained silent for a while as he allowed himself to sink into the strong arms of Alfred, his prince. "What if someday my voice changed, or I do not look beautiful anymore, or I had changed completely, will you still love me?"

Gently, Alfred reached out for his hand and used his other free hand to point at the sky. "Like the stars, no matter how far they're apart, or what happen to them, they are always together." He said before enveloping Kiku into his arms. "You are my one and only person I love and I will cherish you until the end of my life."

* * *

From his chambers, Ivan clearly sees everything unfold in his own eyes. He saw Alfred and Kiku embraced each other in the garden, and how Kiku helped Alfred on bandaging his wounds. The scene of Alfred and Kiku kissing each other is the last straw to him. He couldn't take it anymore. He is not going to let Alfred go in deeper, or else he will just ended up like him.

"Ivan, what's wrong with you?" Gilbert, who was also at his chamber noticed something was wrong with Ivan and asked in concern.

"It's no of your concern." Ivan said coolly, trying to conceal his expression but Gilbert knew more.

"That look in your face tells me you want to kill somebody." Gilbert sighed and closed the book he's reading.

"And you have good eye." Ivan said, his tone a hint of mocking.

"C'mon, what's wrong with Alfred's love? He doesn't seem to be any problem, though he was just a servant but Arthur and Francis weren't like Arthur's psychotic father, surely they will approve Alfred's choice." Gilbert tried to reason to him.

Ivan shot him a glare as the pair of furious purple eyes ordered him to silence. "It's because of that servant, I was worried that Alfred will ended up having the same fade like me."

Gilbert sighed and shook his head in disapprove. "Are you still thinking about Yao?"

"It's because I failed to protect Yao, he died." Ivan said bitterly. "If the same thing ended up on Kiku, Alfred will be sad and broken again."

"It isn't your fault that Yao died." Gilbert said, "It was just a bit of a… coincidence and by fate's decision that took him away. But Kiku and Yao are of different person, you can't say that Kiku will ended up in the same fate as Yao does." The white haired prince walked to the window and see Alfred and Kiku shared their lovey-dovey relationship in the garden. "I don't see what's wrong with them being together, so long as Alfred's happy, that's fine for me."

"He is happy, but only for now." Ivan, however, was not happy at the thought of it. "When the time comes and Kiku left him, he will ended up in sorrow and grief. Kiku took them away from him."

"How can you said that?" Gilbert questioned back. "Isn't it obvious to you that the two of them love each other to the depth of their heart? Their love is just like your love between you and Yao." At the mention of Yao, a scowl began to form on Ivan's brow and Gilbert immediately remembered that Ivan won't be happy if he mentioned about Yao. For a safety measure, he decided to flee the scene instead. "Uh… I-I am just telling you w-what I know, all I just hope is that you find someone you can love just like how you love Yao…" The Western High Prince laughed nervously before leaving the room. Ivan watched as Gilbert left the room before he whipped his head back to the window, mumbling to himself, "There's only one person I could love in my life, and that person is gone forever."

* * *

The next during breakfast, Arthur and Francis tried to make Alfred spill out the chosen one but Alfred would shut his mouth whenever they brought up the topic. The truth is, Alfred felt that he wasn't ready to tell anyone about his love to Kiku. He knew that his fathers were fine with him marrying a commoner but how would the public viewed about this? There are so many uncertainties laid before him that he doesn't know what he should do.

Thanks to the wound Ivan inflicted yesterday, he had an excuse to skip his training. The prince mopping around the hallway aimlessly. Speaking which, he wondered what Kiku was doing right now. With that in mind, Alfred ran off to the servant quarter in hope that Kiku was his room. It wasn't much of a problem finding the man's room since he had escorted him back to his room last night. And he was glad that Arthur did not questioned why didn't he wear his outer coat just now during breakfast and only he knew the answer.

There was not much servant at their quarter during this moment, probably they had went off to their chores and work. Alfred managed to find Kiku's room in no time and gently knocked on it but there was no response. Alfred's heart sank a bit. _Perhaps Kiku had work to do at the moment_, Alfred thought to himself. If that's the case then where would he be?

The prince once again walked out of the servant quarters and out to the castle garden. Ivan was practicing swords fighting with Gilbert today. But the moment when Ivan caught Alfred standing aside, he stopped abruptly. "Alfred, I thought you don't need to practice today." Ivan said, a smile plastered on his face. Gilbert darted an eye at the platinum blond prince but said nothing.

"I just came here to find Kiku." Alfred said.

"Kiku?" Ivan raised his eyebrow, feigning a tone of surprise in his voice. "Isn't that the servant who follows you when you're young? But I thought he has left a long time ago."

Alfred didn't seemed to register the hint of anger in Ivan's voice as he continued telling the whole story Ivan had knew for quite a while. "He left but he return again and he attended the ball as well. And that's how we fall in love."

Upon hearing Alfred mentioning the last sentences, Gilbert could see Ivan's brow furrowed a bit before returning back to normal. He decided to try to lift the atmosphere a bit. "That sounds awesome, Alfred. If you had already found the person you like, why didn't you tell King Arthur or King Francis about it?"

A silly laugh escaped the prince throat as he fiddled with his clothing for a while. "I-I want to tell them… B-But I was just thinking how…"

A snort escaped Ivan's as Gilbert noted how he relaxed a bit when Alfred told them his difficulty. The taller of the prince turned and looked at Gilbert, those deep violet orbs seemed to be pleading for some private space for them to talk. Gilbert just nodded in understanding before he left the scene.

"What's so hard about telling Arthur and Francis about your choice of spouse?" Ivan asked the moment Gilbert left.

"Well… How should I say that?" Alfred thought for a while before replying. "It's not that I was worried that they won't accept Kiku as my spouse but I'm just not ready to do so." Alfred mumbled, "Everything happened so fast. Once I get married, my life will change. And I wonder, is this the right thing to do?"

The two of them walked in the garden and went to sit under a shady tree. "It shouldn't be that bad. If you think it's alright to you then you have to do it." Ivan told him. "It's up to you to decide it."

"I understand that thing…" Alfred mumbled. "But is it really alright to choose Kiku?" He questioned himself.

A malicious glint suddenly appeared in Ivan's eyes as he plotted a way to separate them. "Perhaps you should reconsider your choice of spouse." He said darkly.

"Wh… What is it?" Alfred looked back at him confused.

"I understand that you look Kiku. But sadly, I don't think he's suitable to be your spouse." Ivan told him.

"B-But why? Didn't you understand? About the love story between and prince and his beautiful servant girl, you know that story and you understand. But why you won't allow me to marry Kiku?"

"Alfred, think about it." Ivan snapped back at him. "Even though I understand your feelings for him is strong, and even I understand your relationship with Kiku is just like the fairytale I told you, it will not happened as you expected to be."

"B-But you want me to continue in believing them…" Alfred stuttered, tears at the corner of his eyes.

"Alfred, I am not the one who has the last say on this. It's Arthur and Francis that would decide your future. A mere servant like Kiku can never get their approval because of the status gap."

At this point, Alfred really began to weep. "That's not true! Papa and dad told me that they will still respect my choice even if I choose a commoner as my spouse. They know Kiku since the start, so they will understand."

Ivan, however, continued to crush the prince's hope. "Just how much you can trust their words? They just said it so that you can behave properly on the ball. Even though they know that Kiku is a servant, they can't accept him into the royal because of his bloodline."

"But I love Kiku, how can this thing be so unfair?"

"That was fate, Alfred. If you truly love Kiku, then you have to give up him and let him go."

"As if I will do that?!" Alfred spat in disgust.

"Then what will you get if you insist on marrying Kiku?" Ivan questioned back. "The nobilities will make fun of him and shunned him away. Until the end, he will receive ill-treatment from the nobility because he was not accepted into the family. Do you want to let Kiku suffer like that?"

Believing in what Ivan said, Alfred slowly let reality sunk in. "Is that thing really the truth?" He asked shakily. Ivan smiled bitterly and nodded his head, "I'm sorry, Alfred. There's nothing I can help you. If you really want Kiku to be happy, then you have to let him go."

"As if I will do that!" Alfred yelled and sprinted off back into the castle. Ivan watched him left with tears. He didn't meant to let Alfred cried, but he just had to. He just don't want to see Alfred shed even more tears in the future.

* * *

Alfred returned back to his own room and slammed the door shut. He curled himself on bed while weeping onto his pillow. He was a prince, a crown prince god damn it and it wasn't regal to cry! Ivan's words may be right, what if Kiku was not well-accepted in the society? What if something bad happened to Kiku? He had to give up Kiku if he really wants Kiku to be happy, but will he be happy, will Kiku be happy too? How should he explained to Kiku? It was just all too much to handle.

_Alfred found himself walking in the meadow. The grass was green and tall and almost engulf half of him, reaching his thighs. From a distance away, he saw a young man almost at his age, with spiky blond hair and thick eyebrows, his irises were as green as the grasses. "Dad?" He recognized him, is that Arthur when he was young? The young Arthur ran forward and reached out the hand of another young man. To Alfred, that man was just like his papa! "I missed you." The two embraced each other as if they are afraid to lose each other before planting a kiss on each other's cheeks. Holding their hand together, they continued to walk and fade into the distance._

_She's a princess who search for her own happiness_

_He's a commoner prince of his own intention_

_She looked out the window_

_He walked out the door_

_But she followed him and he said_

_ 'Watcha lookin' for?'_

_Alfred was about to follow them when he noticed something else. He saw Ivan and Yao holding hands together and the white hair boy whom he recognized as Gilbert was following them from behind. At some point, Yao stopped in his tracks and turned back to face Ivan. "It's time we part, aru." Yao said, Ivan was reluctant. "You're leaving already?" Yao gave him a sad smile before giving him a kiss and ran off into the horizon and disappeared. Ivan ran towards the direction where he disappeared in hope to find Yao, Gilbert hot on his heels behind._

_There was a gush of wind as someone ran past Alfred. Alfred looked around to see the familiar figure of his twin brother, Matthew. "M-Mattie?" He blinked his eyes in disbelief. Matthew turned around and smiled at him before he continued running. "W-Wait, where are you going?" Alfred panted as he began to chase after him. Matthew stopped again and turned back at him, "T-This is a goodbye, brother…" Alfred was puzzled, "N-No, don't leave me, Mattie. We're great brothers, and we are born together so we must die together." Matthew shook his head. "P-Please live on, Al. Stay alive for me, and papa and daddy and Kiku and Natalia… All of them." Alfred reached out his hand in hope to grab him, "No, Mattie! Don't go!" But Matthew slowly vanished in the thin air._

_Alfred was left standing still on where he was, Ivan continued running with Gilbert chasing him. He vaguely saw Kiku running to his side but Natalia soon took him away. Gilbert who was chasing Ivan also stopped in his tracks and turned another route. He was left alone in the middle of nowhere._

_He's been living in a pure illusion_

_She's gonna come to her own conclusion_

_Right when you think you know what to say_

_Someone comes along_

_And shows you a brand new way_

_Alfred was lost and he began to weep while having no idea which way should he take. Just then, he saw the figure of Matthew standing next to him. "You're not alone in this…" His voice barely above a whisper but Alfred seemed to hear it. "There's always someone there for you when you need them. You must cherish and treasure them while they are still in your life…" And from afar, he saw Kiku running towards him with tears visible on his eyes. "You have already hurt him… Just remember not to do it again."_

_She said I want something that I want_

_Something that I tell myself I need_

_Something that I want_

_And I need everything I see_

_Something that I want_

_Something that I tell myself I need_

_Something that I want_

_And I need everything I see, yeah..._

* * *

"Kiku!" Alfred yelled, calling out for Kiku's name, only to find himself lying on his bed. Everything just now… It was a dream? But why is it so real? He then remembered that his father told him that member of royal blood can have prophetic dream, could it be trying to tell him something?

_You have already hurt him already… Just remember not to do it again._ Matthew's words from his dream echoed again. He had made up his mind, he has once shunned Kiku away and that didn't make the poor servant boy happy at all. And this time he has to give him up again, that will be repeating the same thing again and will broke the boy's heart even more. No, he's not going to let Kiku get hurt again! He, Alfred Antonio Bonnefoy will be his hero and protect him from all troubles no matter what.

"Alfred, Alfred, are you in there?" There's someone banging at his door at the moment. Alfred stood up and dusted his clothes before running up to answer the door. He was surprised to see Natalia standing by the door. When was the last time he saw her this close?

"N-Natalia, or should I address you High Princess Natalia?" Alfred bowed politely as what his etiquette taught him.

"Natalia is enough for now." The High Princess said coolly, though there's a hint of worried in her tone. "I just came here to ask if you saw Kiku." The princess inquired.

"O-Oh, Kiku? I-I was looking for him as well…" Alfred stuttered. Speaking of which, he did not see that servant boy at all, almost the whole day. He was trying to convince himself that maybe Kiku is somewhere else in the castle doing his own work but he still can't help but worried about it. "Is there a matter?" Alfred asked Natalia out of concern.

"I can't find him." Natalia told him. "I went around searching for him just now, but he's nowhere to be seen."

Alfred felt his heart skipped a beat, does it means that Kiku is missing? I-It can't be! "Did you check his room?" He asked her.

"I had checked it a number of times!" Natalia replied, "I even checked other places where the servants worked."

Worried, Alfred pushed Natalia out of his way and began running towards the servant quarters. He found Kiku's room and knocked on it but there was no reply, again. Impatient, he went to twist the doorknob, surprise to find it unlocked. Both he and Natalia entered the room but found nothing unusual with the arrangement of his room.

"Where could he been?" Natalia pondered. Alfred searched around the room, feeling something sensual tingling him. He soon found himself staring into the cabinet. He didn't know why, but there's something pulling him. "Kiku, are you in there?" He asked as his shaky limb reached to open the closet.

Kiku was not in the closet, nothing seemed wrong with the arrangement in it. Alfred was about to close it when something caught his eyes. At one corner of the cabinet is his coat, he gave it to Kiku last night. He went to pick up the smooth, light fabric and examined it, only to notice a piece of note fluttering onto the ground. Natalia picked the note up and read it.

**To my prince Alfred,**

**By the time when you read this note, I had left the castle. I'm sorry for not telling you but after some consideration I realised that it was a very ridiculous idea for a servant like me to marry someone of a nobility like you. There is no way that we could be together even though we wanted to.**

**I had left the castle and will never return again. You don't have to remember me, for a servant do not deserve anything to be remember, just forget about me. I hope you can find another person who is nice to you and can take care of you, you will be a great king, I know you will. A servant will not get in your way.**

**Yours faithfully**

**Kiku**

"Wh-What is this all about? How can he be like this?" Alfred exclaimed in exasperation. Just when he realised how important Kiku was in his life, that servant boy vanished before he can even made a move.

"This is surely not like Kiku." Natalia said. "Even if he behaved like this, he won't run away from the castle. Something must have happened to him."

"This is my fault." Alfred blamed himself. "If only I arrived earlier, then he won't be gone." Natalia patted him gently on the shoulder. "It is not you to be blamed, Alfred. I'm sure someone must be trying to separate you and Kiku from being together. What matters now is that we have to find Kiku. He has nowhere to belong other than the castle. What if something bad happened to him?"

Then, it hit Alfred. He's not going to let Kiku be out there alone suffering all by himself. He swore to himself that he will be Kiku's hero no matter what, right? So he must do it, he would save Kiku!

"Natalia, stay here! I'm going out to find Kiku!" Before Natalia could even call out for him, Alfred rushed out of the room like a gust of wind. "They do love each other…" Natalia mumbled to herself as she saw Alfred running out of the castle.

* * *

It was already near sunset by the time Alfred left the castle gate. The crowd of people has begun to decrease in numbers, each returning to their home respectively. But he saw no sight of Kiku.

He then started searching around the back alley and deserted street. Ever since eleven years ago when his father shut down the castle door, it did not stopped Alfred from sneaking out for some adventure. During those times when he managed to escape out of the castle into the street, he had grown familiar with every single twist and turn in the street. Getting lost here is out of the problem but with the surrounding being so dark, it's hard to navigate in the street.

The prince ran into one of the alleys but only to face a dead end. He was about to search another alley when he heard muffled scream coming from elsewhere. He turned around and quickly headed towards where the scream came from, only to find himself running deeper into the labyrinth of alleyway.

"How can a man be so beautiful and small?" He heard someone saying. "It would be a waste if we just let him go without raping him." Worried, Alfred raced to the scene and saw Kiku being held by two big thugs while the petite man struggled in hope to free himself.

"What are you doing?! Let him go!" Alfred demanded. The thugs turned to face them and one of them walked up to him and glared at him in a threatening way.

"What 're yer doin' her'?" He questioned.

"I came to save him!" Alfred said, showing how brave he was. "He's mine, not yours! Give him back to me!"

The thugs smirked at him as they stood up tall and menacing. "That's too bad. But if you want him back, you have to defeat the two of us."

"Alfred…" Kiku murmured quietly as the thugs blocked his way of escape. "Just run… Don't care about me…" His weak tone is more than enough to break his heart.

Gritting his teeth, Alfred unsheathed his sword and began charging towards the thugs. The thugs tried to attack but with Alfred's inhuman strength, he easily swung them aside and wounded them. The thugs, knowing they are losing quickly fled from the scene.

"Kiku, are you alright?" Alfred quickly came up to the servant boy's side and inspect him. There was a bruise on his cheek and it tears Alfred's heart to see his beloved getting injured.

"A-Alfred… w-why are you here?" Kiku stammered, tears pooled in his dark brown eyes. "W-We are not supposed to be together…"

"Kiku, I don't care what people said about us. All I want is you at my side." Alfred gently cupped his face and wiped off the tears. "I have already lost you once, and I won't lose you again. I love you, Kiku. Please don't leave me again."

"Alfred… I love you too…" Kiku sobbed as he accepted Alfred's embrace, Alfred hugged him protectively, until Kiku suddenly flinched when Alfred touched the bruise on his face. Alfred grimaced a little at the bruise left on the boy's cheek. "Let's go back, shall we? You'll catch a cold here." He said quickly helping the boy up and they returned to the castle.

* * *

Alfred helped Kiku back into his room and began to nurse Kiku's bruise. "Kiku, who did this to you?" Alfred asked. From how the bruise look, it could have been there for hours, or maybe a day, those thugs couldn't have done it, have they?

Kiku fiddled with his clothes as he pondered for a while, but looking at Alfred's eye, he couldn't lied to him. "I-It's Prince Ivan…" He revealed.

"Brother Ivan?" Alfred exclaimed. "W-What did he do to you?" The prince noticed tears began to streak down the servant's face and he tried to wipe them off. "He… He told me… t-to stop getting a-along with you… H-He said… He said that King Arthur a-and… King Francis will never accept our marriage… s-so he wants me t-to… stay away f-from you…" He sobbed while relating what had happened.

Ivan… Ivan has been doing this? It confused Alfred. But what that matters is, no one is going to approve their relationship, not even Ivan whom he had trusted for a long time. But he just cannot bear to separate from Kiku, he don't want to lose him again. What should he do?

"Kiku, I heard it from Brother Ivan as well that papa and dad will not approve of our relationship because of the difference in our status." Alfred said as he sat next to Kiku, holding Kiku's hand in hope to comfort him.

Kiku held Alfred's hand in his as he whispered to him, "I think it's better that you just forget me and find yourself another future spouse. There's no way that we can be together." He sounded convincing, but Alfred didn't miss the slight hurt tone in his voice.

"But Kiku," Alfred said looking straight into his eyes. "Kiku, the person whom I loved is you and only you, don't you feel the same?" The servant boy nodded timidly in response. "There's no way I will give up on you. I promise that I will never hurt you again and I will love you and only you until the end of my life. No one can stop us." Alfred said, determination in his eyes.

"B-But what if they reject our engagement?" Kiku asked.

"Then we will show them what we can." Alfred said. "Like a fairytale, the lovers will always be together in the end no matter what. Their undying love for each other is the power for them to conquer everything. We can do that too."

_The prince said I want something that I want_

_Something that I tell myself I need_

_Something that I want_

_And I need everything I see_

_Something that I want_

_Something that I tell myself I need_

_Something that I want_

_And I need everything 'cause_

_It's so easy to make believe_

_It seems you're the one that made my dream_

_Don't you see that you are all my world_

_My world that is you and you alone_

_My one and only beloved_

"Then what are we going to do?" Kiku asked, uncertain. Alfred closed in their distance and whispered into the servant's ear, "Let's runaway…"

xXx

I'm sorry for not updating this story for almost 2 months. This chapter was supposed to be upload 2 days ago but I'm stuck with my writer's block and personal slacking off that delayed everything.

I have my semester break for a moment, so I would try to upload as fast as possible whenever I could. There are also some stories I'm trying to finish to submit for competition purpose.

For those who read my completed long story, **The Prince and The Frog**, I have a question to ask. Someone PM me suggesting I submit this story in a competition at Inkitt Fandom Writing Contest. Mind giving me some suggestion and helpful advice? I would appreciate it if someone was willing to help me to correct the story and grammar so that story is more completed.

This chapter is based on Rapunzel Tangled soundtrack, **Something That I Want**, though I changed the lyrics a little to suit our scenario. Ivan, you bad brother, telling Alfred so much lies. Oh no, now Alfred is planning to run away! What will happen to him and Kiku? Will Ivan finally accept their relationship? Review, and I will tell you in the next chapter.


	17. Chapter 15

**One Last Fairytale: Love Hurts**

Waking up in the morning was something Ivan hated. No matter how pleasant his dream seem to be, all changed the moment he returned back to reality to find himself laying alone on his cold bed.

He hated it. He hated the moment when he and Yao was forced apart and never to be seen again. He hated reality that was filled with nothing but pain and grief. He hated fairytales because they are nothing but pieces of shit and crap that only a mad man could dream of. But most of all, he hated the fairytale which was Alfred's favourite, the story of the prince and the beautiful servant girl. To him, it was a broken desire, a false hope that gave him nothing in the end. He convinced himself that he will never listen to fairtales again, but he just continued to drown himself in that endless, irretrievable desire of his.

"Ivan, are you in there?" He turned back to the source of the sound, the cause of his rude awakening. The banging has gotten louder. Heaving himself out of bed with a sigh, he'd rather ignored it and continued his sleep but knowing that he will be in big trouble if he did not do so. Groggily, he reached out to open the door and found both Arthur and Francis standing by the door.

"Ivan, is Alfred in your room?" Arthur asked, his voice bordering panicking.

Ivan just shook his head. "He hasn't come into my room since his eighteen birthday."

"Now zhat's strange." Francis mumbled, "Where could zhe boy be?"

"Is there something wrong?" Ivan asked them.

"Zhis nothing." Francis said, though Ivan could sense a hint of lie in his voice. "We're just looking for him. He didn't turned up for breakfast and we couldn't find him in his room."

After the kings left, Ivan quickly got himself dressed up and headed off to the dining room. There were two other occupants in the room, one being his sister, Natalia and the other is Gilbert. The two gave him a stare the moment he entered before returning back to their own meal. Ivan could sense a tense atmosphere but he just don't know how to question them so he just tried to ignore it and ate his platter.

As soon as he finished his platter, the platinum blonde haired prince headed off to the crown prince's room in hope to find him. His hope, however, was dashed the moment when he saw the state the room was.

Alfred's bed remained neat and tidy, which was probably the maid's doing. As he hung on to that glimmer of hope, he began searching and ransacking the room high and low but found no sight of his younger brother. The only thing he noted, was that some of Alfred's belongings were gone. It can't be… T-This can't be happening, right?

As Crown Prince Alfred remained nowhere to be seen, his worried parents quickly sent troops of soldiers and search teams to locate the prince. Ivan started to feel his nerves ticked off but for some reasons Natalia and Gilbert seemed unfazed by it, especially Natalia's expression was enough to send chills down his spine.

* * *

The day passed on and Crown Prince Alfred was yet to be found. This worried the castle occupants, especially his family. That night, as Ivan leaned by the windows in the chambers in hope to see Alfred's return. He didn't remember how long he has stayed awake when Gilbert suddenly entered the room and joined him.

"What are you doing here?" The taller prince asked in a cold tone.

"What else? I was worried about you, seeing how you behaved today." The albino prince snorted and sat not too far away from him.

"Speaking of which, where's that brother of yours?"

Gilbert shrugged his shoulders, wondering why his brother's matters concerned Ivan but decided to answer anyway, "He has found the person whom he loved, and that person invited him to stay at Southwest Kingdom for a while."

"I see…" Ivan smiled a bit at the replied, "Tell him he has my blessing."

Gilbert grimaced a bit. "And I will say thanks in West's place."

There was a tense silence between them. Ivan seemed to be lost in his own world, while Gilbert seemed to have something in his mind. That was until Gilbert broke the silent.

"Why do you give West the blessing?" Gilbert asked all of the sudden.

"Is it wrong to give people their wish since they had found someone they loved?"

"I don't see it wrong." The Western High Prince said. "But I think someone else needed it more than West does, like that brother of yours."

"You mean Alfred?" Ivan quirked an eyebrow at the statement. "Of course he will have my blessing, but he is yet to find his true love."

"How can you say that? Alfred has found his true love, but you refused to give him your wishes."

"Then how many times should I tell you about my reasons?" Ivan snapped, "I just don't want Alfred to suffer the same thing as I do."

"And you're just too stubborn to let go the past." Gilbert retorted back. "Are you expecting Kiku to end up on the same fate as Yao does?"

"Whatever you say, he's a servant boy, just like Yao. Alfred may be happy being together with him but when he left, Alfred will end up being broken just like me. I don't want to see him broken like that."

"You had already broken him. You tried to separate him and Kiku." Gilbert snapped. "Why don't you just tell him the truth rather than trying to conceal it? I understand both Arthur and Francis and they are more than willing to accept Alfred's choice seeing that Kiku isn't much of a problem but you're trying to stir up trouble for them."

"Why don't you tell me what should I do if Kiku died suddenly? How am I going to talk to Alfred?"

"Ivan, snapped the fuck out of it! I believe that Kiku will not die. Even if you tell Alfred this piece of shit, he will not stop loving Kiku because he has already made up with his decision. Do you think he will still be happy when you forced them apart?"

"And the same thing here too. Do you think I really wish Yao to die? It was me myself that caused all this to happen, I would have die together with Yao if it wasn't because Alfred need me."

"Shut the fuck up, Ivan! It's no one's fault Yao's dead and of course I understand your feelings for Yao, but don't you think it's a bit harsh if you think that way?"

"That's because I had lost everything in my life, even the love of my life." Ivan said sombrely. "I had nothing else in this life other than waiting for my death."

"That's not right. How did you convinced Alfred to keep on living even after his brother's death? Why can't you think the same way as Alfred's does and move on? There are so many things you missed during those times."

"I don't care anymore!"

"Ivan, don't you realise that that attitude of yours has caused Alfred to run away." Gilbert tried to explain. "I know you don't want Alfred to suffer but what you had done is wrong. I mean, come on, that's not unawesome to tell him something like that. There're still other better ways and options to handle it."

But the words do not seem to register in Ivan's mind as he began to throw his tantrums again. "Alfred is my brother and it's none of your business to care about my family matter. I will find him by myself!" As he said so, he began dragging Gilbert out of the room. Gilbert tried to fight back but the younger prince was stronger than him. "There's no need for your help in this matter." Ivan snarled at him before slamming his door shut at the albino prince.

Sad crimson eyes looked at the locked door as he got up from the floor. "Ivan, just when will you finally see the truth and move on? You're just hurting yourself even further…" The High Prince mumbled sadly before leaving the place.

* * *

Ivan don't remember when he fell asleep in the midst of his watch. But he remembered vividly every single images in his dream.

_Lights, colours and masks that concealed everyone's face from being recognized danced all over the hall. Ivan found himself standing in the middle of it. He tried to get away from the crowd but a certain red-eyed albino prince was pestering him up and down all over the place._

_"C'mon there, Ivan. It's been a while since we last saw each other, shouldn't we enjoy each other company for a while?" The Western High Prince chuckled as he cracked a joke._

_"I would like to, but you're just too annoying." Ivan grumbled. "I need a break for a moment."_

_"Aww, but I'm just trying to catch up the lost time." Gilbert said as the two made their way out of the dance hall._

_Ivan had the nerve to ignore him at the moment as he intended to get himself drown for the night. That was when he caught sight of Alfred leading a petite, young man out from the crowd and leaving the hall._

_"Don't tell me you're going to get yourself drown again, that's so not awesome." Gilbert complaint. "It's better you enjoy tonight…" Those words, however, fell deaf on Ivan's ear as he began following the crown prince out._

_His curiosity had brought him to the garden where Alfred and that mysterious guest were currently enjoying their lovey-dovey moment. They seemed to be whispering to each other but Ivan cannot make out what they were saying. That was when he noticed Alfred reached out his hand and gently removed the person's mask, revealing a pair of dazzling brown eyes that glowed in the moonlight._

_Ivan could feel his heart skipped a beat at the sight of that man. No, this can't be happening! But reality betrayed his wishes as he saw Alfred tenderly planted kisses all over the young man's face as he poses a question, "Will you marry me?"_

_And that was the last straw for Ivan. Unable to take on this any longer, he reached out for the nearest object next to him and flung it at the man that was currently in Alfred's embrace. The object flew and hit onto the person's back, causing him to scream in pain and blood seeped out from the spot where the object had landed._

_Sorry Alfred, you deserve a better happiness than this… Ivan muttered to himself as he went to check on the dead body, only to notice that he was not in the garden but in the kitchen. What the hell had happened? Startled, Ivan looked into his hand only to see a bloody butcher knife in his hand, staining them a crimson red. Violet eyes trailed down onto the floor to find a bloody mess at his feet, but it was not that man's body, it was his beloved Yao broken body!_

_This can't be true! He remembered clearly that the person talking to Alfred was not Yao, it was him… What has happened and what was all this about?_

_Ivan was about to run away when he heard someone's timid voice. "Nii-san…" He turned around to see the servant boy's younger brother coming out of the cabinet and stared at the scene, his eyes clouded with shock and confusion._

_"Ivan, what had you done?!" Someone yelled at the doorway. Panicked violet eyes turned to the source of the voice to see the silver-haired young prince standing by the doorway with Alfred next to him. "What are you thinking you're doing?" Gilbert questioned._

_"You're getting it wrong. I-I was just…" The tall prince stuttered, trying to find his words of explanation. _

_At the same time, he moved towards them, causing Kiku who stood nearby to think he was trying to kill him and run towards the doorway where Alfred and Gilbert were standing._

_"J-Just listen, p-please don't get me wrong…" Ivan pleaded, Gilbert quirked a suspicious eye at him. "I was j-just trying t-to…" As he moved closer to them, he didn't realised the knife he was still holding in his hand pierced Alfred's as the young crown prince tried to protect Kiku. Ivan could only watched helplessly as Alfred's body became numb and rolled onto the ground with a thud._

_Ivan gasped in horror at the realisation at what he had done. Kiku just watched with teary eyes as he backed even further. The taller of the princes turned to the shorter one as if he was begging for mercy and forgiveness but the later crimson eyes were soon filled with anger and hatred as he accused him._

_"Crown Prince Ivan of Main Hetalia had murdered his own brother!" That sentence rang loudly in his ears and the hallway as he felt his world began to spin and his conscience slipped off._

The next thing Ivan remembered was sitting up on his bed with sweat and tears marked all over his face. A shaky hand rose to touch his face. Those scenes, how long has he saw such thing happen? Yet, it remained so vivid in his mind that would haunt him.

* * *

After having a quick breakfast, Ivan headed off to the garden where he would be having training lessons together with Gilbert. As he walked down the stone pavement, he caught sight of his sister Natalia doing laundry at not too far away. That was really odd, why would a high princess be doing something that was supposed to be a servant's job.

"Natalia, why are you doing house chore instead of a servant?" Ivan closed their distance and questioned Natalia. The Northern ruler met his gaze and glared a frightening glare which caused her older brother to back away a bit.

"It's because there's no other servants at the moment and Kiku is gone." Natalia hissed under her breath as she picked up a linen to be hung. Ivan volunteered and went up to help her.

Speaking about Kiku, Ivan had not seen that servant boy the same time when Alfred had gone missing. But he do remembered that he was the one who chased Kiku out of the castle in hope that Alfred will give up his relationship with him. But does his words really changed Alfred's mind? Knowing Alfred's personality, he could have… No, he can't let that thing happen!

"Anyway, I though you should be going out to search for Alfred. Who knows what will happen to him if he was all alone at outside." Natalia said, a signature scowl on her face as she carried the laundry basket preparing to leave. "Something was bothering him. But he wouldn't bow no matter what stand in his way and was determined to get what he want, it was why he ran away with that behaviour of his."

Wait a minute, if Natalia can be so calm about this, could it be that she might know something about Alfred whereabouts. Quickly, he reached out to grab one of Natalia's arm, causing the said princess to turn around and scowled at him.

"Natalia, do you know where Alfred is?" Ivan pleaded her. "Please tell me, I need to find him as soon as possible."

Natalia didn't uttered a single word as she released her arm from Ivan's grasp with certain strength no one did not expect for a lady. Well, she already was Ivan's weakness ever since she was just a baby. He was always intimidated by her unpredictable behaviour and cunning attitude, which was something befitting for a ruler. Yet, there was no reason for him to hate her as she was his sister, his only living family member. But their relationship has been severe and tense ever since then, they never even had a proper brother-sister talk before. Back then, when Natalia was growing under the wing of Francis and Arthur, he had been watching her silently all the time and was sad when he heard that she was going to return back to her kingdom where her throne lies but he was afraid to face and speak to her, which caused them to become quite distance.

"Will you tell Alfred the same thing? Or will you gladly accept his choice?" Natalia asked him as her cold blue eyes leered him.

"I don't care what will happen. All I just want is to make sure that Alfred will return back safe and sound." Ivan pleaded, tears visible in his purple eyes.

"If it wasn't because you're my brother, I wouldn't have care for your pleading." Natalia said with a sigh. She led Ivan through the hallway until they came across Natalia's room. Natalia went in to fetch a letter and handed it to him. "I don't know exactly where Alfred had been. But he told me that he will be running away until King Arthur and Francis approved his relationship with Kiku. Though I know more than he did, but seeing that he was so determined in finding his own happiness, I have to let him be."

Purple eyes stared at the piece of letter in his hand before reaching his shaky hands to unopen it. But all he could do was stared at the paper, his mind was unable to process the words scribbled in it. Natalia saw the confusion written across her brother's brow and politely asked, "If you will, may I read it for you?" All she got as a reply was a nod from her brother as he handed the letter to her.

**Brother Ivan,**

**I have decided to run away and pursue my own happiness with the person I love. I can't stand seeing my happiness being destroy because I was forced to marry someone else I don't like, so I decided to do the only best option available to me.**

**You understand how I feel, right? After all, you are the only person who truly understand me, so you understand, right? You know I love Kiku, but we cannot be together because of our status. That's why I must run away, you understand that part right? Even though I believe that there's no such thing as fairytale in real life but you told me to believe in them because some day I will have an ending with a Happily Ever After no matter what happened. And so, I believe in them, because I want to be happy, so I have to run away, like the story of the prince and his beautiful servant girl which you always told me. It doesn't matter to me anymore if I had to give up my title as Crown Prince because I'm more than happy to live a normal life with someone I love rather than an arranged marriage, just like those stories papa would tell us about the prince and his beautiful princess running away and giving up their title to be together.**

**I won't be coming back, unless papa and dad approved my relationship with Kiku. You don't have to come and find me, perhaps you can help me convince papa and dad to accept our marriage only then I will come back. For now, I wish you luck. Farewell.**

**Alfred**

For some reason, Ivan wanted to snatch the letter from Natalia's hand and ripped it but Natalia managed to hold him down. "And that's what Alfred has been trying to tell you." She said calmly. "But he don't know that the problem isn't about King Arthur and Francis, but is you yourself."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Ivan asked.

"I understood that you truly wanted Alfred to be happy but your over-protective behaviour will end up ruining his happiness." Natalia said. "Also, you have been lingering in the past for too long. It's time you should let it go and pursue your own happiness. You can't just keep on mourning over the past."

_But there's no way I would love another person like how I love Yao…_ Ivan thought to himself. And what does Natalia meant by him ruining Alfred's future? Thousands of questions and uncertainty flooded in his mind.

"What do you mean with that? It's not like you know how I feel and I don't need someone that is younger than me to care about my business." Ivan said coldly as he tried to hide his surprised expression.

"Do you think I'm the type of person to care about other people business?" Natalia rolled her eyes at her brother. "If it wasn't because my brother is making a fool out of himself, if it wasn't because somebody is trying to destroy the happiness of my other siblings, it wouldn't have wasted my time on settling little problems like this." The High Princess said to her brother eye-to-eye. "You can't force a person to do what they don't want to do, it will hurt them and yourself."

He was about to ask Natalia a question but she suddenly excused herself, saying she still has business she needed to attend to. With that, she took her leave, leaving the letter and Ivan behind.

* * *

For some reason, Arthur and Francis weren't as frantic as yesterday regarding Alfred's disappearance. Ivan guessed that perhaps Natalia had said something that reassured them or maybe they knew that Alfred will be alright. But Ivan could care less about them at the moment as he was still worried about Alfred being outside.

The prince retreated back to his room, Natalia's words still ringing in his mind. Somehow, he felt ashamed that he was being advised by Natalia who was seven years younger than him. It bothered him, what was love? For Ivan, he can never find the real answer.

After a while, he decided not to bother about such trivial question and decided to do something to forget about it. His tongue came across the little scar Yao had once marked on it during their make-out. It still hasn't fade till now and it made him heartbroken whenever he thought about it. When was the last time he did that on bed covered in sweat and making the bedsheet sticky? When was the last time he actually held someone dear close to him? That feeling has been long gone and replaced by emptiness and despair.

The lone prince explored on the bookshelves where dust has accumulated after years of being untouched. He remembered these things, the books where he and Yao enjoyed reading together when they were just small kids. Strong, solid fingers trailed around and landed on one of the books as images began to flash before his eyes. _Ah, those memories again…_ He thought to himself as he dusted away the books (Yao usually does that for him) and caressed them lovingly as if the person was there.

_"What about this one?" Yao asked, removing a volume from the shelf and holding it up. Snow White. Ivan nodded. "Do you remember the traits of Snow White? Specifically, what she was aptly named for?"_

_"Skin as white as snow," Ivan said evenly, eyes half closed, "Fairest in the land, blah blah blah. So what?"_

_Yao laughed softly, "Yes. Do you remember what saved her from the spell that had been cast on her? The death-like state she was in?"_

_"A kiss," Ivan deadpanned, "Woo-hoo. And the point is..."_

_The older teen ignored him, placing the book back on the shelf and withdrawing another, "And this one? What saved the girl in this one, Ivan?"_

_"Aurora was saved by True Love's First Kiss," he frowned, as if it was obvious, eyes lingering uneasily on the ornate cover of Sleeping Beauty for a moment longer than he intended._

_"Correct, aru." Yao nodded, moving on to another book on the shelf, "And this one?"_

_"True love, again," Ivan said, biting his lip, still feeling unsettled by this procedure. What was Yao getting at? "The Beast was saved by Belle's love for him."_

_"That he was," Yao smiled slowly, placing the thing back on the shelf, wiping away a bit of dust from the wood with a frown. Mental note, he thought, dust Ivan's room, aru. "Remember these stories, Ivan. They'll be worth more than you know one day." He shifted his hand across the shelf until his fingers rested on Snow White once more, "Especially this one. Remember how her life was saved, and why she was called Snow White."_

And that caused him to ponder again. What was Yao hinting to him about these fairytales? He did not have an answer, but from what he knew, Yao said Ivan deserved someone better than him and he will be happy even if that person was not Yao. But then, who else did he has feeling with? Who else but Yao could have been his true love? Until the end, Ivan did not manage to figure it out at all.

Slowly, the prince reached out his hand and pulled out a book from the shelf. He blew and dusted off the dust that covered on the thick cover. _Snow White_, the golden engraving on the book displayed the title as shown. Gently, he flipped open the book as his eyes leafed through the pages carelessly. That was when a piece of paper suddenly fell onto the floor. Ivan noticed it and picked it up, only to gasp at the handwriting and words on the paper.

**Ivan,**

**By the time you noticed this note, I was dead already. I'm sorry for not telling you in the first place, I don't want to sadden you or perhaps I do. Kiku told me about his dream that someday I will die and I knew I cannot avoid it so I just had to accept it.**

**I understood how you felt for me, you love me and I love you too. But I cannot brought myself to do so not because I was afraid Arthur and Francis will not accept our relationship (I lied to you though), but it was because I knew that someday our relationship had to be ended eventually. I know that this is hard for you but this is reality and you have to accept your fate no matter what.**

**You don't have to cry for me, Ivan. I don't deserve your flattery. There's someone else for you in the future and I'm sure you'll be happy with it. Don't you remember? The first time when you and Gilbert met, the two of you spent time playing together. You were happy and I had never seen you being so happy before in my life. After all, he's the one who managed to cheer you up. I hope that the two of you will be nice to each other for the time to come.**

**I may have died, but you don't have to think about me. I will always be by your side praying for your happiness. You should cherish the people whom you treasured.**

**Love,**

**Yao**

The second note came out so sudden that Ivan just don't know how to react to it. He clutched the note in his hand and began weeping. The pain and the lost he had carried years ago, he finally feel it again. And it was just too much to bear it that he felt on the verge of breaking.

* * *

Gilbert walked down the hallway towards Ivan's room. It worried him that the younger prince did not came for swords practice session. Perhaps he was worried about Alfred running away. No matter what, the albino prince was determined to make it clear to him.

What surprised him, however, was that he found Ivan in his room crying with a piece of crumpled letter in his hand and a dusty book laid not too far away on the floor. Seeing the prince shedding tears was something Gilbert hated to see, especially it reminded him about the time during Yao and Matthew's death. He was not going to let Ivan cried anymore.

"Ivan, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" The Western High Prince asked in concern as he closed his distance with Ivan, but the later ignored him as he turned away and continued crying.

Gilbert frowned a little and went to pick up the letters scattered all over the place and read through them. "So, it seems like you ended up creating your own demise." Gilbert quirked an eyebrow after reading the letters.

"It's none of your own business." Ivan snarled at him and tried to snatch the letter back but Gilbert managed to hold him down.

"It is my business too, because you're my friend." Gilbert insisted. "Ivan, do you know how broken I am when I saw you cried? Do you know how lonely I have been when you shut me out? I just don't want to see you suffering in the past again."

"Then what can you do? It's not like those people will come back again. They're gone forever." Ivan said solemnly.

"So, have you finally realised that? Just when you will finally let it go and start your life anew instead of mourning over the past? I'm sick of waiting."

"And when can you stop sulking?" Ivan glared at him as he picked up the mess on the floor. "If you are so good at talking about it, then why don't you tell me a thing or a two?"

There was a moment of silence as all emotions seemed to drain away from his face before he began to speak. "Ivan, for truth sake, do you believe in fairytale?" He asked almost inaudibly.

Silence followed again and a tense atmosphere began to cloud the room. Ivan heaved a sigh as he stood up. The platinum blonde prince gathered his stuff and went to sit at the bed as he clutched those things close to his chest as if they were his lifeline.

"I… I don't know…" Ivan mumbled. "At first, I believe in those things because I wish my life to be as happy as those people in these stories." Violet eyes set gazed faraway at the scenery outside the window frame. "But then, too many things had happened, first mommy then Yao and Matthew… I just can't take it anymore… And I realised that things won't be happening like what I expected to be in a fairytale, so I gave up my hopes…"

"If that's the case, why did you convince Alfred to believe in those things when you think that life isn't as happy as you had thought? Are you doing it just merely to make him happy?"

"One of that reason, yes." Ivan replied, a small smile crept across his cheeks. "It pained me so much to see that boy, so young and innocent having to see a person die at a young age. It reminded me so much of that time when I witnessed everything when I'm at the same age as he does." He added, "I just don't want him to suffer so much at such young age. He still has a long way for him to go…"

_So does you…_ Gilbert thought to himself. "So you convince him to believe in it? Then why didn't you tell yourself to do so?"

"You know the trick of comforting a child. It won't work the same way for me." Ivan rolled his eyes. "After all, there's too much pain to think that life would be a fairytale, it is all a lie."

"Even if it means that Alfred had found his true love and you rejected the idea because you thought the outcome won't be a Happily Ever After?"

"I'm doing this just to protect Alfred. There's no such thing as fairytale in real life!" Ivan insisted. "I don't want to see Alfred crying over Kiku's dead body in the future just like how Yao and I ended up to be."

Gritting his teeth, the Western High Prince reached out a hand and slapped it across the platinum blonde prince's cheek. "Just when will you snapped out of it? You're just as stubborn as always." The albino prince said as tears began to flood in his eyes. "Sometimes people's death can't be helped. It's not because life is not a fairytale, it's just that some people had lost their belief in it that caused them to lose their mind. And you're just one of them, you had lost sight of your light."

"Just… Cut it out!" Ivan yelled at him.

"Don't you try to interrupt me when I'm speaking!" Gilbert snapped at him.

"Someday, you will be the causer of trouble like eleven years ago. You will lose yourself and ended up hurting those who are your precious. Imagine it yourself, the person who caused Alfred's grief is not Kiku, not anyone, but you yourself!"

As Gilbert was about to continue in his rambling, a purple aura began to surround Ivan. "Kolkolkol…" The prince muttered under his breath and began yanking the shorter prince and tossed him out of the room before slamming the door shut at him. Gilbert ended up being in the same situation just looked at the closed door that slammed him out. He huffed in annoyance and sank onto the ground, "just like that…"

* * *

In his room, Ivan paced all over the place as he pondered about what everything he has been through today. First, his nightmare, then Natalia's confession and Alfred's letter, later came Yao's letter and lastly, Gilbert's words. It was so much that he needed to sought it out.

_"You can't force a person to do what they don't want to do, it will hurt them and yourself."_ The last sentence Natalia told him at her room…

_'I can't stand seeing my happiness being destroy because I was forced to marry someone else I don't like, so I decided to do the only best option available to me.'_ Alfred's will on insisting his own way just so that he could get his own happiness…

_'There's someone else for you in the future and I'm sure you'll be happy with it.' _Yao's last word in the letter…

_"Tragedy happened it's not because life is not a fairytale, it's just that some people had lost their belief in it that caused them to lose their mind. And you're just one of them, you had lost sight of your light."_ And Gilbert's words just now, it all rang hard at the back of his head that it hurt.

It all made sense to him now. Realisation hit him hard as he realised how wrong he has been during those years. Not only that, he hurt those whom he had treasured so much during his lifetime. If this went on, he will end up losing everyone. He won't let this happen, he won't!

The platinum blonde prince suddenly shot up from where he was sitting. If he was freaking so worry about Alfred, shouldn't he be going out to find him instead of sitting in here sulking? Quickly, he rummaged the cabinet and pulled out some outdoor clothing that would help in keeping him warm, not forgetting to fetch the sword that hung by his bedside before running out of the room. He had decided, he will find Alfred and bring him back no matter what, all matters is bringing Alfred back alive.

"Ivan, where are you going?" As he opened the door to head outside, Gilbert who was still at the doorway noticed him leaving. "Don't tell me you're going out at this time? It's fucking dark already!"

Ivan just turned back to face him. Determination shone in his eyes. "I'm going to find Alfred and get him back." He said emotionlessly.

"But Ivan, it's late already. Why not tomorrow?"

"I don't care. If I'm a minute late, Alfred might be in trouble." Ivan persisted. "Please tell Arthur and Francis that I'm leaving for a while, they don't have to worry about me." Once finished his sentences, he rushed all the way down the hallway to reach the stables, probably.

"Hey, wait up!" Gilbert called out as he gave chase.

xXx

Sorry for the late updates again, I slacked off again… D: And recently, I'm busy with the story writing contest which also delayed the update.

For some reason, I seriously felt something being quite ironic for this chapter. I just don't know how to stick up a conversation, if not, some statement just ended up keep repeating again and again. Still, I hope you all will enjoy with this chapter as the progress rise.

Even though that many things had somehow convinced Ivan that he's hurting Alfred, but this doesn't mean that Ivan has finally snapped out of his 'not a fairytale' thought. He still insisted that life is not a fairytale and went to find Alfred because he's worried for him. So it seems like Gilbert has to do something to make Ivan realised what he was wrong.

After this, I estimated there would be another 8 chapters before this story ends. And I would really, really be happy if you would kindly post a review here to show your support, the lack of comment and feedback really disappointed me to continue the story. ;A;

**Guest** (the person who reviewed on Oct 9): Yes, it was indeed sad to see that Gilbert feelings' for Ivan had been rejected. Someday Ivan will finally realise it and return his feelings, I promised. ;)


	18. Bonus Chapter (LietBel)

**One Last Fairytale (Bonus Story): She Will Be Loved**

"Look, that was the so called Ice Princess."

"True to her name, she's so cold and haughty, just looking at her eyes would've freeze me."

"Who did she think she was? She wouldn't have been standing here if it wasn't because of King Arthur."

"I swear that she certainly look ten times prettier if it wasn't because of that face…"

Natalia ignored all the insulting comments coming from the court ladies as she walked down the hallway. Toris met her and greeted her with a small smile before escorting her towards the dining hall. Usually, she'd rather walk by herself but seeing Toris so willingly doing his job, she just can't argue with him.

Upon entering the room, she was greeted by Arthur and Francis. Arthur's face broke into a smile as he saw her and went up to hug her, which Natalia found it uncomfortable but decided not to raise a voice since her father was so overwhelmed with emotion. After all, he was the person who raised her up since her mother had long gone.

Natalia never had much memories about her mother, but she remembered every single thing about her brother distinctively. Ever since when she was brought into the world, frail, naked, squealing and wailing, she has gotten to taste the sense of comfort (of sort for a child) the moment her brother carried her. She liked her brother's platinum blonde locks, chubby cheeks and striking purple eyes, and the scarf that was always so warm and comfort when hold onto.

And since then, Natalia has set her eyes on her big brother Ivan. Nobody knew about her intention and Ivan seemed scared by her behaviour, yet she made a wish that she will marry her brother when she grew older.

"How was your journey here, _ma petite fille_? It must be tired to travel for so long." Francis came up to ask her after Arthur released her from the hug.

"No, it's not much trouble." Natalia said, her face emotionless. "I had enough rest throughout the journey."

"My, you have grown so much since the last time we saw you. How had things goes in the Northern Kingdom?" Arthur asked.

Natalia blinked a while, her fathers were getting annoying already, but still answered politely as how a noble lady would do. "There's been some unease and riots in some other places, but the situation is still under control so don't worry about it too much."

Arthur seemed like he was going to pose another question but Francis hushed him. He then made a gesture for them to take a seat on the dining table. Both Arthur and Natalia complied and took their seat on the table arranged for them as they waited for the food to be served while enjoying some rare family reunion moment.

* * *

Over the time, Natalia had come to accept Arthur and Francis as her parents. Even though they sometime got on her nerves but she still cared for them. She never had much memories of her mother, though someone told her that she died on an incident when Natalia was still a baby. Perhaps that was why she relied on Arthur and Francis so much, they were her parents who provided her a home where she and her brother could be sheltered.

But then, not too long after that, Arthur and Francis had their own children, a pair of princes called Alfred and Matthew. Since then, they paid more attention towards the twins rather than Natalia and her brother. True, they did tried to spend some time among the little children but Natalia somehow felt strayed off as she realized, that Arthur and Francis can never treated her the same way as how they treated both Alfred and Matthew, she was just an adopted child. Yet, she can't brought herself to hate them, they were her only family, the only comfort they could provide for her. Moreover, Alfred and Matthew were just innocent, little boys who were even younger than her, she can't just simply throw her tantrums at them as she wished.

As Arthur and Francis cared more for Alfred and Matthew, Natalia turned to her brother in hope to seek for his attention instead. At first, she enjoyed it but that feeling slowly died out as well when her brother has become a teenager. No matter how or when she found him, he would always ended up locked in his room or not there, it's like he was avoiding her on purpose. As the sibling rarely saw each other, there won't stand a chance for them to speak to each other at all. Natalia finally understood why her brother never bothered about her. It's because he had his eyes set on a servant boy called Yao. Her brother would only smiled when Yao was around and they would share intimate touches and things she never know. That saddened her even deeper, but she was not willing to cry it all out. And she continued living on, occasionally having the boys and Kiku as company but she never told anyone of her own problem.

* * *

"The food is going to be served soon. Where's Alfred?" Arthur asked impatiently as the three of them sat at the table waiting for the crown prince to come.

"Maybe we should just start without him. He's probably busy or something with tonight's event." Francis said. "Speaking which, Ivan should also join us too. And he's not here as well."

Natalia perked up a little at the mentioned of Alfred and her brother, Ivan. "How were Alfred and Ivan now?" She had been particularly worried about those two ever since THAT incident.

"They are alright and had finally opened up." Arthur assured her. "Though they rarely spoke to us now and they usually hide away from us."

Natalia might be able to understand that. The moment when everyone grows up, they began searching for their comfort zone and personal space that they would keep it away from anyone, even those who were close to them. Her brothers were the same, and so does her.

A servant knocked on the door before entering the dining hall. He informed the three of them that both princes have some business to attend to and were unable to attend the feast. At this point, Natalia noticed Arthur frowned a little while Francis just shrugged helplessly.

"I guess we would have to start without zhem." Francis said.

"I thought I taught them better when there's someone special rather than decline. That was so rude of them." Arthur grumbled as the servant began serving them food.

"Maybe they had something really important or an emergency." Francis said trying to assure Arthur. Arthur scowled but didn't say a word.

Natalia just dug into her food eagerly, hoping for some peaceful silence. Inside, she was a little disappointed that she was unable to see Alfred and her brother, but she just can't complain, not like she could persuade them or something. All she just wanted to do is to see for herself whether they were alright.

* * *

Eleven years ago, the unexpected incident had left a scar on everyone's heart who had been involved in it, particularly her brother and Alfred. At first, she just thought that horrible nightmare was just a dream, but she never thought it would happen. Thanks to all that, she and Kiku managed to flee to safety, but Yao died because he tried to protect them. And until now, she still blamed herself for not warning everyone about it, nobody knew though. But she still felt herself to be blamed for causing Matthew and Yao to die.

That day, after all the riots were over, she and Kiku were discovered by Arthur and Francis and brought them to the garden. Arthur informed the children about Matthew and Yao's death. Alfred and Ivan burst into tears in mere seconds, Kiku stayed still but she noticed that his dark brown eyes were glazed. She could never understood why people were crying, though she felt there was something painful and piecing beneath her, she just can't comprehend.

After that day, things began to go worse. Alfred and her brother shut themselves and refused to eat nor come out. She tried to find her brother but he was blinded from Yao's death and Natalia realized that there's no way her brother would love her with the way her loved Yao. And then, she felt like crying again but hold herself again. _So people cry is when they really feel sad and in pain…_ That's how she told herself whenever she wanted to cry or when other people are crying.

* * *

The family of three finished their meal quicker than what Natalia had expected. After the meal, she was grateful that the servant came in to inform both kings regarding some issues they have to tend to, which allows her to attend to her own business.

Natalia excused herself and left the dining hall, Toris behind her. As she walked down the hallway towards her room, she came across several windows that allowed her to see the garden outside. The High Princess took a peak out of the window and saw the oriental servant boy standing in the midst of the garden caressing the flowers. Natalia bit her lip as she watched him stroke one of the roses, Alfred's favourite flower.

"Is there something wrong, my princess?" Toris asked. "If you need that servant boy right now, I will go and get him for you."

Natalia held out a hand and shook her head. "No, I don't need him at the moment. I just want to make sure he was alright." She said as she recalled back the past again, no matter how hard she tried, her efforts were just wasted.

* * *

Time flies, Arthur had requested that the castle remained shut after that incident so that they could take some time to heal their wounds. The royals from other kingdom were also send back. She was once again left alone. That was when she began her bond with Kiku, seeing that the boy had lost his only family member and banished by his Master Alfred, he was just as broken as she does. The two began to spend their time together in the castle to the point where they would sleep together, read together and walked along together.

At some point of time after the mourning ceremony, Alfred seemed to have opened up, but Kiku was not happy. She noticed something was off him as well, seeing that Alfred no longer saw Kiku in his eyes and their relationship continued to strain. The same thing goes for Natalia and her brother. Natalia always noticed that her brother's smile was a bit forced and something off. She never saw him as the brother she knew before. And Natalia knew for sure that her brother's had his love for Yao, she was nothing but his sister. Slowly, she began to stray away from her brother as well and got along with Kiku instead.

And again, the second separation came sooner than she thought. Vash and Liech had come to bring her back to her birthplace, the Northern Kingdom where she will inherit the throne that once belonged to her mother. Albeit reluctant, Arthur had made up his mind to send her back to where she belonged. She had not much say in this, but it was her responsibility, so she just had to go according to plan.

Kiku was not happy that Natalia was leaving either. She understood that he felt lonely staying beneath the castle of Main Hetalia working as a servant. Moreover, Alfred no longer cared for him, it sadden him even more that it twisted Natalia's heart seeing the servant having to suffer this all alone.

"Hey Kiku, will you come with me to the Northern Kingdom?" That was more like a request rather than a question. The servant boy seemed to ponder at first but agreed at last and the two set off to the Northern Kingdom.

Over the years, Natalia had tried to spend as much time as possible together with Kiku whenever she wasn't busy. Truth to say, she was hoping that Kiku would fall for her, since he was dumped by Alfred and she felt herself attracting towards the timid but intelligent servant boy. Yet, she was disappointed once again.

She noticed that Kiku continued to stray off in thought and became even quieter and reclusive than his usual self. At first, she thought he was homesick or some sort but as time went on, she realized that she can never took him away from Alfred. After all, Kiku never return her feelings, the person whom he always had in mind was Alfred. She was angry when she knew about this, but finally accepted it as she learnt that love cannot be forced upon, so she ended up supporting Kiku in pursuing his dream to win over Alfred.

There's only one thing Natalia wished, she wanted to be happy, to find someone whom she could love with her whole being and having those feelings in return. Yet, things can never be as simple as one would expected it to be. It hurt her to see those people suffer because of love, she was of no exception. First, Arthur, then her brother Ivan, followed by Kiku. No matter how hard she tried to win over their heart, they never viewed her the same way she viewed them as. They only saw her as an adopted daughter, sister or mistress, but nothing else more than that.

Slowly, she lost her hope and stopped yearning for someone to love her. Instead, she began to help those around her in hope that their happiness could drown away her sorrow. _It was a good thing to do_, she thought so, but whenever she sees people rejoicing over their love, she would felt something missing, something empty in one corner of her heart no matter how happy she felt for them.

* * *

On that night, Natalia and the other royalties were in the throne room greeting the guests. Tonight was a rather huge event, considering the length of guest they had invited. Arthur had even specially requested the list to be extended to all eligible young man or woman no matter what status they were. It was a fine idea after all, seeing that Alfred was given a wide choice of selection to choose the person whom he could truly love and marry with. But then, there was a risk as well, there were many people who were aftering the crown and the throne just because they were greedy of having a leisure life. They would do anything just in hope to win over Crown Prince Alfred's heart in order to secure their place in the royalties, that won't be a nice thing at all. Natalia wished for anything but those two option, she hoped that Alfred had the right mind enough to make up something good, she just don't want to see both Alfred or Kiku's happiness being destroyed by an unhappy marriage.

Natalia spent some time dancing with the crowd to show some courtesy. But once in a while, her eyes would dart towards Kiku and Alfred. She was glad that she brought Kiku to Main Hetalia and persuaded him to take part in this masquerade ball. The servant boy seemed to enjoy his time doing something that only aristocrat would enjoy. At the other hand, Alfred seemed annoyed dancing with certain pesky lady that tried to woo him with all sort of sugary lies.

By the time when Natalia decided to retire from dancing, she noticed the crown prince dragging Kiku out of the ballroom. Upon seeing this, she had a smile ghosted over her lips, it seemed like everything was going as she had planned.

"My princess, would you like a drink?" Toris asked her as he offered her a glass of wine. Her smile vanished instantly, but still accepted the glass of wine before taking a small sip.

"Say, my lady, are you enjoying tonight?" The young knight asked and accompanied her to the balcony.

"I'm just glad that everything was going smoothly. That servant seemed to enjoy his time tonight as well." Natalia said coldly.

There were less people in the balcony, only some coming out to catch their breath or have some rest. The High Princess leaned on the balcony railing as she watched the garden outside. From above, she could see Alfred leading Kiku out into the garden near the pond where they would play together when they were young. She smiled a little at the sight of it, thinking how good it was that the two finally meet and fell for each other so instantly.

"Speaking of which, my lady, you seem to be enjoying your time being here as well." Toris stuck a statement boldly as if he was trying to make Natalia angry. The High Princess glared at him before her expression changed into that of her calculated look and calmly sipped her wine. "I suppose you are right." She murmured.

"I'm sorry if I insult anything, but I would like to ask. Why are you so concern about that servant boy? I understand that you arranged him as your attendant because he was the closest one to you, but you even go that far to arrange him to attend such event just so that he could meet the Crown Prince. Just what are you thinking?"

_I did it because I love him_, Natalia whispered silently in her mind. She had Kiku in her eyes the moment when she finally gave up on her brother. She hoped that bringing Kiku with her would help him forget about Alfred and she will eventually win over him. But in the end, it didn't work. Natalia realized that Alfred forever lived in Kiku and he missed him even more. And she also learnt that neither she nor Kiku will be happy if she forced Kiku into their relationship, so she decided to let Kiku go.

"I just think that the servant deserves some time of his life for himself. Moreover, it seemed like he liked the prince, so is there any problem with that?"

Toris just blushed a little when Natalia made eye contact with him as he bowed to her in hope to hide his blush. "N-No… Er… Nothing at all, my lady. T-That's very considerate for you to think about him…"

At that moment, there was a melodious tune coming out from the inside. Toris took this as a cue and held out his hand towards Natalia. "My princess, it's getting late. But if you don't mind, would you have one last dance with me tonight?"

Natalia looked like she wanted to reject but the look on Toris' face reflected how sincere he was that she cannot come up with an excuse. A bit reluctant, she accepted Toris' offer and they began dancing on the dance floor again.

* * *

Natalia first met Toris eleven years ago in this very same location and the very same day. It was a few days before tragedy struck, on Alfred's and Matthew's birthday. That time, Toris was a young trainee knight. He lost his family during the collapse of the Old Northern Kingdom.

The young knight in training was brought to the castle of Main Hetalia where he was on duty. Before the start of the ceremony, the young knight was standing guard in the ballroom as the royals were busy greeting guests flocking into the castle. Toris soon got bored of his duty and his emerald green eyes began scanning all over the place to find himself some amusement. At this moment, his eyes landed on a beautiful girl with a mop of silvery blonde hair adorned with a white ribbon and blue eyes with a matching frilly blue dress. Toris couldn't help but feel himself attracted to her and yearned to get closer to her.

It was not too long after that he was dismissed from standing guard and was allowed to have some free time to himself. Almost instantly, he went up to the young girl standing at the corner and tried to talk to her.

"Ex… Excuse me, lady…" Toris made a beeline towards her and tried to talk to her but the girl turned her head away as if she did not noticed him. "M-My lady... W-Would you mind... if I request?" He attempted once again. And this time she answered him and he cringed a little at how icy her tone sounded.

"Are you talking to me?" Blue eyes narrowed and eyed him cautiously as she backed away a bit.

"M-May I... Have this dance w-with you?" He asked, feeling a little unnerved by her behaviour. The girl seemed like she was going to reject his offer but she still reluctantly held out her hand and took his offer. "... Alright... But just this dance."

That was chilling but awesome first dance Toris had ever enjoyed. The two ended up dancing for more than an hour and they really enjoyed in it. Even though Natalia treated him coldly throughout the day, he found that she was quite cute especially when he complemented her or when she accidentally stepped on his foot and her face would flared up embarrassingly.

It was later that day he learnt from some of the gossiping soldiers that the young lady in blue was known as the notorious 'ice princess' and heir to the Northern Kingdom throne. Although not much people know about her, the knight spread rumours that she was a witch who would freeze you the moment eye contact was made. It was also rumoured that she cannot smile at all because she was said to have a very psychotic personality. Toris, however, do not believe in such things. In fact, he noticed several things was off with the princess, especially those deep dark blue eyes that reflected infinite uncertainty in it.

There was something sad in those eyes, a yearning for something… Surely it must have been hard on her since she had lost her mother when she was just a baby, so she must've wanted some attention. Although King Arthur took her in, he had other children in his hands as well, that did not help her much at all. And since then, he made a vow to himself that he will protect Natalia no matter what the next when they finally meet again.

* * *

By the time when they finished their dance steps, the music stopped and they heard the clock struck midnight, signalling the end of the day. The two break off the moment when the music ended. Natalia went off to bid their guests together with other royalties while Toris had to stand guard. She noticed that Alfred was not in the scene and she knew the reason but decided not to tell anyone about it. She just hoped that Kiku listened to her word and left the dance before midnight.

The High Princess was sure that she did not hold any feeling for the knight. Yet, she felt something tugged at her heart as if it was yearning to be with him. And recently, her fathers had been pestering her to find herself a suitable husband at such time being. They were not going to force her though, she knew they that they were worried about her future and her happiness. It bothered her, she didn't thought that it would happen so soon.

"Say Natalia, have you found yourself a suitable spouse?" Francis questioned during lunch time when she finally arrived in Main Hetalia.

Natalia kept quiet at the moment and felt herself tensed up. She did not expected her fathers would come up with such questions at such time. She was not in the mood in finding someone she loved yet, not when she had lost her heart more than once.

Arthur smiled gently as he spoke, "Natalia, I know you might not be ready for this. But this is also part of your responsibility, you just can't rule the kingdom all by yourself."

Silence followed again. _But it's not fair, if my marriage is all about responsibility, then what about my happiness?_ Of course, Natalia was not the kind to follow rules bluntly. She has always been yearning for something she deeply wishes for, an understanding and love from someone whom she could truly trust and be happy with, not just a mere marriage out of political reason.

"Speaking which, you should find yourself a suitable king in the ball tonight." Arthur advised her. "Don't keep your hopes down. I'm sure there's someone there for you."

* * *

The night began as usual where she would greet the guests before the dance began. This time, Natalia resorted to observing the crowd not too far away from the balcony. Toris noticed her discomfort came up by her side and offered her a glass of wine.

"You don't seem like you're enjoying the night today, my princess." The knight commented politely. "Is there something going on in your mind?"

"Same for you." Natalia said as she sipped her wine. "Aren't you supposed to be flirting with young ladies or watching guard tonight?"

The knight smiled a little as he gulped down his own glass of wine. "I don't really have standing guard duty at the moment since it's my own duty to keep watch of the High Princess." He said, "And I don't feel like flirting with young women, that was something improper for a knight. Moreover, I'd rather danced with the person I like rather than someone I don't even know."

Natalia scoffed a bit as she laughed coldly. "If you'd say that in front of the public, you would have lose your head, consider that I forgive you this time."

"But I'm serious, my lady." Toris said. "Just you wait and see."

Natalia just ignored him as she scanned the crowd. Alfred seemed fed up having to dance with the ladies who intended on wooing him. She don't have to worry him anymore because she knew that he already had his eyes set on Kiku, that left with the persuasion and acceptance from the family but that could be cared later. Her blue eyes darted around another corner to see her brother with that High Prince of Western Kingdom at the dining area. He was the same as usual, a faked happiness but an empty heart that had broken years ago. She could just watch silently as the albino prince attempted to stop his drinking habit and tried to comfort him even though her brother had a bad broke up with him. She just hope that Gilbert will heal her brother's broken heart and made him realized that he deserved to have his own Happily Ever After.

And the third night came and went and the event was soon over. That night in particular, Natalia saw Alfred taking his leave from the throne room a few minutes before midnight. She knew that he was putting himself in trouble but he would be in greater trouble if he did not do so. Natalia didn't plan on disturbing other people's business but she caught sight of her brother following Alfred at a distance behind. Curiosity caught her and she went up to check out as well.

Alfred and Kiku had quite a romantic night that night but she can't stand it taking up the scenery before her. Not that she was going to complain that they were doing something in the wrong place, she was concerned of her brother. Why was her brother disturbing their private moment? The masquerade party was long over and the guests had already left the place. Natalia hid under the shadow of the castle, not wanting to catch any attention. She saw her brother turned away as he walked back into the castle, his face void of expression yet something evil gleamed in his violet orbs.

The High Princess of the North Kingdom slowly came out from her hiding spot, careful not to make a noise that would snapped Alfred and his lover from their sweet dreams. For some reason, she had a bad feeling for this. Is her brother not happy with Alfred's choice of spouse?

* * *

Her suspect was confirmed later on when she noticed the tension that began to rise among the two siblings. Following that, Kiku suddenly disappeared. Natalia searched all over the place to find him but the effort were futile. Alfred managed to discover that Kiku had run away. Thanks to that, he managed to save Kiku from trouble before the situation worsened.

Through this, Natalia had learnt that her brother was not happy about their relationship and planned on separating the both of them. She never know why but Yao must be one of the reason of such behaviour. Alfred later expressed his intention to run away unless King Arthur and King Francis accepted his engagement with Kiku. And again, Natalia knew the truth better than the rest of them, but decided not to bring it up. Knowing Alfred's personality, she won't be able to persuade him in changing his mind, so she just decided to let him be as long as she supported Alfred and Kiku relationship.

The Crown Prince sudden disappearance had stirred chaos in the castle. Troops of army and soldiers were sent by the kings in hope to find the prince but no news was heard of. The person who worried the most was none other than her brother, Prince Ivan, who looked anxious and worried one whole day.

"My lady, shouldn't you tell anyone about Alfred's runaway?" Toris asked that afternoon when Natalia was intended on doing Kiku's chores.

Natalia seemed to ponder about the knight's words before replying, "I had promised Alfred that I won't tell a single soul about his whereabouts."

"But the castle has been in chaos, just how can you stand this? Don't you know that King Arthur and King Francis were worried about their only son? What if something bad happened to him?" The knight ignored her and continued to fire questions at her.

_Their only son? Their only son?! Isn't big brother their son as well?_ "And why would you care?!" The High Princess yelled back. "How many times should I told you? This is none of your business!" She glared at her personal bodyguard with her electric blue eyes that seemed to paralyze him. The knight backed away and just nodded in resignation. "I will inform them later but they won't know about the entire truth, unless the person who caused this realized his fault."

Toris just obeyed his mistress' words as she carried the laundry out to the garden. He felt that it was really unbefitting for a lady of noble rank, a princess to be exact to do house chores where servant usually done. But Natalia insisted that she did this in Kiku's place. Knowing that hard personality of the princess, she might had some other plan in her mind. Toris cared about her but he don't dare to go further and pressed on as he knew better than to step on the princess' wrath.

* * *

In Toris' opinion, Natalia is exceptionally beautiful, (well) all royals tended to be beautiful but her beauty is different. At first, Toris thought that he was just somewhat attracted to her or something. He liked to think himself being lucky as he was the first man (if considered at that age) to ever dance with her. He heard that she wounded several of the young men who attempted to dance with her, soldiers and nobles alike. And since then she owned her reputation as the infamous ice princess. Toris was the only one who got so close in contact with her and came back unscattered. And despite all the numerous rumours that she was a witch or a mentally unstable girl who will bring bad things to the kingdom when she was crowned High Princess, Toris held on to himself that the princess must be having her own problems to deal with and all the harsh childhood she had endured that had shaped her today. He hang on to the thought of meeting her again in the future, which inspired him to train himself more vigorously in hope that he will be the one to win her heart.

Their reunion came quicker than the young knight would have expected. That time Toris was having swords practice session with the younger knights in training. From afar, he heard the rushing of servants and some knights as he saw a carriage pull up at the North Kingdom's castle entrance. He watched as the carriage door opened as Vash and Liech came out followed with another young girl who looked around the age of fifteen. That was when Toris felt his heart skipped a beat the moment he saw that young girl, it was her!

And for the next few days to come, Toris found himself stalking the High Princess to be. It's not that he's doing anything bad but he just felt like catching up the lost time. Natalia had grown up into a beautiful young lady at this age. Her blue eyes would sparkled with determination and confidence. Her platinum blonde hair flowed in the wind as if she was gliding in the air.

Yet, rumours continued to spread throughout the castle the moment the princess return. Many young men had been enchanted by her beauty but when they tried to talk to her, her coldness would send them shivering. Toris also heard that one of the nobles attempted to seduce her by luring her into his room but he later ran out of the room with cuts and wounds all over his limbs. People said that the princess must have carried knives with her wherever she goes and hence her reputation as an ice princess continued to spread.

Toris, however, did not view those words in the same way. He felt that the girl was desperate for something. Those beautiful eyes were the same as before, and Toris finally understood what lies beneath those orbs. The girl was lonely and was yearning for some love but it was hard for her since she lost most of her family in the North Kingdom incident years ago. And Toris had also heard that she was once very obsessed of her older brother and somehow wanting to go as far as to marry him but that feeling slowly dissolved when she realised her brother loved someone else and he shut her away. Although King Arthur brought her under his wing, she can never felt the same closeness as Alfred and Matthew because she was not related to him and that caused her to stray away even more.

It saddened Toris to see the young girl having to grow up by herself without much people by her side. She seemed to make it and has even become a strong ruler of the Northern Land. Yet, her eyes remained the same, hollowed and miserable. If Toris was given a wish, he would pray for the girl's happiness and someday someone would shower her with love. He had always wished that he would be that person by her side but he knew the chances are beyond his reach. Who would approve a relationship between a knight and a High Princess?

* * *

_What should I do?_ The knight thought to himself as he walked out to the garden of Main Hetalia. _I just want to make her happy, even if it's just once…_ Slightly calloused hands reached towards a rose bush and picked out a single red rose and toyed it between his fingers, ignoring the thorn grazing and leaving marks all over his skin. He could see Natalia doing her chores not too far away. Toris noticed Prince Ivan, the princess older brother came up to her, though he can't hear what they were speaking. The High Princess was just like a rose, beautiful yet fragile but not easily approachable because of the thorns. The knight smiled bitterly at this, there's no way Natalia would ever took notice of him, he was just her bodyguard, nothing else. And with so many royals and nobles there wooing for her, he won't stand a chance in this. As far as he would know, he prayed for Natalia's happiness and hoped that she will find love in the person whoever she was destined to marry.

The castle was once again in chaos. Not only Crown Prince Alfred was gone, even the other crown prince had run away as well. This sent both kings into panic as they ordered soldiers to search all over the land to get them back. Gossips began spreading among the servants and maids regarding the runaway princes. Everyone has been at unease, all except one.

Toris watched as the princess carried on her day as usual, oblivious to the riots outside. Albeit he didn't know about the full story, Toris would've guess Natalia had somehow hit sense into her brother's mind that cause all these troubles to happen. In fact, the knight would've known the whole story without needing to pose for any question. After all, the high princess was well known for her calculating mastermind that she would do anything to make sure she got what she desire.

While Natalia seemed deaf to the castle's trouble, Toris noted that she seemed to space out than usual. Starting from the moment when she requested her breakfast to be sent to her chambers rather than eating together with King Arthur and King Francis in the dining. After that, the High Princess went to take a stroll in the garden.

A cool wind blazed through the garden, sending cold down Toris' spine but Natalia was undaunted. She just continued to walk deeper into the garden, blue eyes somewhat unfocused, her platinum blonde hair swayed under the breeze and her elegant dress seemed to float, matching her light footstep. Toris couldn't help but hold down a gasp taking in the young lady breath-taking beauty. Usually, she would keep a stiff upper lips with a cold and distant look that no one dare to touch her. But this time, she looked completely the opposite, it somehow urged the knight to move forward just to get hold of her.

"My lady, isn't the weather a bit too cold outside?" Toris asked, trying hard not to let her hear his clenching teeth. Natalia, however, didn't pay him any attention as she reached out her hand to gently stroke a single yellow flower. Toris bit his lip, the princess' attitude really unnerved him somehow. "My lady, don't you think we should go back?" he asked once again, this time being a bit louder, "you will get a cold if you stay outside for too long."

Natalia snapped out from her trance and turned to face him. Toris noted that there was some confusion in her eyes before they regained back to its usual blank and cold type. "You are right…" She said coldly, "let's return back and have tea inside."

* * *

Tea was held in her chamber's balcony. What surprised Toris even more was that the High Princess requested for the bitter Earl Grey tea rather than her favourite chamomile tea. When he questioned her about it, she just replied that she wanted to try something else, he did not believe in it though. He stood aside quietly as he watched the young lady gulped down a cup of the black tea while looking out from the balcony, brows furrowed into a scowl slightly at the taste of bitterness lingering on her tongue.

_Such a disgusting taste… Just like the bitterness I felt deep inside me…_ The High Princess thought to herself as she gazed into the unreachable darkness of the bitter tea she just drank just now. Blue eyes watched intently as if hoping for an answer.

Toris would have admitted that he heard a sigh escaping from the princess but when he whipped his head away from the balcony, he could only saw Natalia placing down her tea cup and her cold eyes gazed far away towards the far horizon of the balcony. Upon closer inspection, the knight caught glimpse of a single tear streaked down her cheek, which was quite rare for a girl with an uptight mouth like Natalia.

"My lady, is there something bothering you?" Toris asked in concern. He knew the girl would not like it but something had tugged his heart for sympathy. Gently, he walked over to the High Princess side and offered her a napkin.

Natalia blinked for a moment as her hand reached out to her cheeks. She had not been realizing that she was crying until Toris mentioned it. Silently, she accepted the napkin from the knight and wiped it away before looking elsewhere but at the face of her bodyguard.

"My lady, you had been off today. Would you like to tell me what's in your mind?" Toris asked, trying to be as gentle as possible. Who knows what would he expected from a lady with unexpected quirkiness?

The High Princess slowly turned back to face him. The usual stern and cold glance in her eyes were gone and were replaced with uncertainty and sorrow. A layer of pool glaze those blue eyes, making them appeared to look like shimmering crystals. She seemed to ponder for a while before deciding to speak up, "I… I'm just… a bit lonely…"

"Uh-hmm…" The knight just nodded understandingly. Natalia made a gesture and he took a seat next to her. "Mind telling me, if that ease you."

A small smile graced over her lips and she shook her head gently. "I'm sure you have heard of my strong feelings for my brother, Prince Ivan?" She enquired.

Toris frowned a little at the statement. He don't dare to give a response, he was afraid that she will lash out at him. After all, he just couldn't simply trust any rumours about the person he cared. And suddenly, she brought this out all of a sudden. This can't be true, right? But his suspicion was confirmed when Natalia confessed the truth. At that moment, Toris couldn't help but got shocked over her revelation.

"I love my brother, because he was the only family I had ever since mother died." Ignoring Toris' gaped expression, she just continued telling him the whole story. Tears once again began moistening her eyes but she fought them off. "Though I can be foolish to yearn to marry him when he already love someone. That feeling can never be accomplished because he was so in love with Yao."

"But my lady," Toris interrupted, "There's always someone else for you. Even though your brother did not love you the way lovers do, he still loves you as his sister. And there're always people who cared for you, like King Arthur who took you in."

"Yes, but there's always a border between me and the rest. I'm grateful that King Arthur took me under his wing but his feelings for me won't be as strong as that feeling he had for Alfred. I may be angry, but I… I cannot brought myself to hate Alfred, not when he looked so young, innocent and happy, so I just decided to keep it all to myself. And I think that as long as Alfred was happy, I will be happy too."

"Is… Is that why… Is that why you're so crazed with anyone?" Toris asked softly.

Natalia took a sip of the bitter tea before she continued, "But that did not last long…" And Toris immediately knew what she was talking about, the tragedy. All he could picture were the fleeting moments when the castle was suddenly invaded, the children were screaming, Natalia was one of them too. The heartless soldiers cutting down those who stood in their path. From what he heard, Prince Alfred lost his brother, while Prince Ivan lost his beloved, the two never recovered from their grief. Since then, the castle was casted in a dark shadow for several years.

"And during those times, Alfred banished Kiku from his side. Therefore, I decided to bring Kiku with me to the Northern Kingdom in hope that he will forget all the sad things that happened in Main Hetalia."

"Is that when you had fallen for Kiku?" Toris asked knowingly.

The High Princess nodded solemnly. "At first, I do wish that he will return my feelings. But then, I realized that he don't love me the same way he had towards Alfred. I knew that it was no use pursuing him, so I just let him go in hope that he will be happy with his decision."

"And do you felt the same that they were happy?"

At the mention of this, Natalia was silence. All the while, she had given up pursuing her own happiness and pray for other people happiness, because it makes her happy too, isn't that right? She stared into the cup of tea, the blackness reflected her hollowness. It just… not right, no matter how she smiled, there's always something missing in her eyes.

Toris stood up and went to stand by the balcony. "Do you remember our first dance?" He asked as he gazed into the city square, trying to find something in hope to distract her.

"You mean the one a few days ago during Alfred's masquerade birthday?"

_Ah, she doesn't remember…_ Toris thought to himself as he hummed a little. "No, I mean several years ago earlier before that, like eleven years ago. Do you remember our first dance?"

The High Princess' eyes narrowed a bit as she half-glared at him. "I don't remember dancing with anyone eleven years ago."

The knight's soldier drooped a little in disappointment but kept his face straight. "I remembered the first time when we met. It was eleven years ago, in this very same castle." Natalia heightened her brows a little at his mention. "That time you were still a young girl and I a knight in training. You were very cautious and alert to your surrounding that you refused to leave King Arthur's side. That was until when I came up to you and asked you for a dance."

Natalia blinked a little in confusion and searched through her memories. Though most of her childhood moments were vague regarding things outside Main Hetalia castle, she could faintly recall the first time when a young man held her hand and led her for a dance. That was the first time she had ever came into contact with a stranger.

"So… It was you?"

Toris gave her a silent nod while trying not to blush. "That time, when I saw your eyes, I noticed that there was something sad in it. It was like, you're yearning for something, searching for something important."

"Is it?" Natalia said nonchalantly.

At this point, Toris came to a halt. _What was he doing?_ He just can't have an answer to his question. But one thing he knew was that Natalia may not going to be happy at what he was going to tell later, would she? The knight practically damned himself for letting his tongue slipped and caused all this confusion. "Er… Uh… I'm sorry, my lady… P-Please forgive my intrusion…" He stammered for a while, trying to come up with a proper explanation. "I-I… Uh… I didn't m-meant to p-provoke you or s-something… I just wanted to… to help you…"

But his words were cut short by Natalia. "Why should you apologize? You did nothing wrong. Just speak it out already." The High Princess urged, her tone was a hint of jolliness, as if she was trying to hold down her laugher while keeping herself straight. That somehow gave Toris some reassurance to continue speaking, knowing that he was free from her wrath.

And so, Toris continued in his story about how he got to know more about Natalia's personality and background. During one time he questioned about the injured nobleman son who intended to seduce her, Natalia admitted doing it as a way of self-defence.

"If I don't hurt him, then what else can I do since he doesn't want to listen to me?" Natalia posed a rhetorical question, "I know it may be bad for my reputation. But my image would be soiled if people knew that I had an affair with someone before I come of age." She stated that the boy has been pestering her when she was learning how to manage political affairs. He later tagged her and cornered her to his room. He intended to make out with her as she tried to escape. Natalia refused to do as he wished, so he slapped her hard on her face. In turn, the girl retaliated back by slashing him with her knife to stop him from advancing further.

The two did not realized that they had been talking all the way until the sun set in the horizon. Natalia took another sip of her tea as she looked out at the balcony before heaving a sigh. "It seems like big brother and Alfred won't be returning today."

"I thought you're not concern about that." Toris commented.

"They're my family…"

"You sounded anxious."

"What would you know?"

"You must be jealous of them, don't you?" Toris spoke out her mind. "You want someone to love you."

The knight's statement caused another tear to slide down the High Princess' cheek. Toris panicked at what he had done quickly knelt down by the princess' side and attempted to comfort her. "I-I'm sorry, my lady… I didn't… I didn't mean to insult you or something… I-I'm just speaking of my thoughts."

"It's… It's not your fault…" Natalia sobbed. "It's just that… I'm feeling lonely…"

"Would you understand? A strong feeling you had for someone yet they just won't return you because their feelings towards you is not as strong as how you wish it to be. They won't love you the same way as they had already loved someone else." She vented on as more tears began flowing down uncontrollably.

"My lady… That's not true. It's just that you haven't met your destined one."

"And just how long should I suffer alone?" She rambled on. "I loved Brother Ivan, Alfred and Kiku but they just loved me as a sister or a mistress. I know it was a sad thing, but I have to let them go because I love them and wanted them to be happy. And yet, what do I get in return? Am I really happy as people would say?"

Toris pondered for a moment, trying to come up ways to comfort the High Princess. In the end, he scooted closer to the girl and enveloped her in a hug. Natalia was taken by surprise with his sudden action, but she did not reject his offer of comfort. She accepted his embrace and sobbed on his shoulder.

"My lady, I truly love you, not as a princess but as you yourself." Toris confessed his feelings once Natalia calmed down. "I don't know why but the moment when I met you, I had the feeling that we will be together, no matter what."

The High Princess sniffled as she dried her tears with a kerchief. "You… Do?"

"When I learnt about your harsh childhood and your yearning for someone to love, I was determined to win your hand so I started training even harder in hope that someday I will be worthy of you." Toris smiled a little as he presented her a rose. "And here, I swear to you that I will always be by your side no matter what and protect you with my whole being."

For once, Natalia was overwhelmed with joy and surprise as tears began to cloud her blue eyes again. She accepted the rose from Toris before asking, "Do you swear, to shower me with happiness just like Alfred and Brother Ivan?"

"I solemnly swear to do as my mistress' wishes. For I had promise to love you and be by your side the moment I was at your servitude." Smiling, he gently held Natalia's wrist in his before planting a gentle kiss.

A blush spread across Natalia's face as she smiled shyly at her new found love. Toris had to admit that she looked really cute and beautiful whenever she smiled. The High Princess turned to look at the time to see that dinner time was around corner. "I think it's time we should get ready for dinner." She said as she stood up, Toris stood up as well and was soon by her side. "I will escort you." He said with utmost courtesy.

Smiling, Natalia held his hand and the duo headed towards the dining chamber, ignoring the stares of the servants and nobles who were walking on the hallway.

As he let the princess led the way to the dining hall, Toris promised to himself that he will do everything in his power to make sure his mistress would always smile in front of him. As he looked out into the warm gentle last rays of sun, he spoke to himself quietly, "Atlas, the heart of the ice princess was finally thawed by the warm sunlight."

xXx

I just can't get into the mood of writing. Life in college can be quite hectic and troublesome, then parents some more. Urg! This chapter would have been posted up months ago if it wasn't because of the writer's block I had. I just can't get into it. Anyway, better late rather than not getting it done.

And I guess I should wish everyone a late Happy New Year, right? I realised that it has been more than a year since I published this story. And I promise, it may took a longer time to update but I'm sure I will have this done in no time. After all, it's a story I had adopted a promised to complete so I must get this thing done.

I decided to post this little story from Natalia's perspective. The original author did not plan to give her any pairing but I think she deserve one. After all, it was rather to see our darling Belarus acting as a protagonist, so I think she would need more sympathy in this. I just hope you were happy with the LietBel pairing I had specially selected in this story.

As usual, thanks for the reviews. I got a lot quite recently and it really gave me the push to write more.

**Cloudia119**: You had a point regarding Ivan and Gilbert relationship. Ivan often forgot about Gilbert after Yao's death as he really grieved by the incident. Gilbert was just trying to help him but Ivan was just too stubborn to listen. It could also indicate that Ivan might have feelings for Gilbert but won't admit it as he was still sadden by Yao's death. Whereas Gilbert and Ludwig's relation is a little bit of a final touch in this, I just felt the need to show a little of brotherly affection between them. Moreover, I wanted Ludwig to have his role in helping Gilbert in overcoming his problem. And I believe, that Gilbert and Ivan will soon have their very own Happily Ever After.

**AthtarKuroCat**: Yes, it was indeed sad to see Ivan and Gilbert's relationship, seeing that Ivan don't want to return Gilbert's feeling. But I promise that they will have a happy ending by the end of this story, I promise. :)

**Guest** (the person who reviewed both Chapter 3 &amp; 4): Rochu was actually one of the pairing in the beginning of the story but that will soon be changed. As the story progress, you will see more Ruspru instead of Rochu. And it was always a nice thing to see funny things in the midst of a tragic incident. I'm glad you like it. :3


	19. Chapter 16

**One Last Fairytale: Can You Feel The Love?**

The moment when Kiku opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was a pair of warm muscular arms circled around his small waist, firm but gentle. Groggily, he turned around slightly and found himself face to face with the sleeping prince. The smaller man ran his fingers along the prince's jawline down till his collarbone, causing the prince to mumble a little in his slumber. Kiku smiled a little at the prince's reaction, Alfred just looked so young and handsome without his glasses, and his naked upper body just reflected his well-filled body even more.

Turning around again, the servant boy gently pried of the arms that embraced him. He slowly got out of bed, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb the prince's peaceful slumber. He was about to head off to the washroom when he felt a sudden force tugged on his wrist and he was pulled back onto bed again. Uttering a yelp, he tried to get up but the force pressed him firmly on the sheet making escape impossible.

"M-Master Alfred…" Kiku stuttered a bit, feeling his face heated up. "Let me go… please…"

"No, stay by my side, darling." Alfred whined childishly, tightening his grip on the small servant boy. "And stop calling me that."

The smaller man uttered a moan when the prince peppered kisses all over his face. "P-Please stop… We can do this later…" He said cupping Alfred's cheek. "We're together now. There's no need to be afraid that we will be forced apart again."

Alfred, however, was not convinced. Instead of complaining, he just embraced the person whom he loved tightly as if he was afraid of losing him again. "I had lost you once, Kiku. And I almost did it again. I promise I won't leave you alone again, you don't have to suffer everything by yourself anymore."

"Alfred, it's not your fault." Kiku said as he hugged back. "And I still love you no matter what."

The Crown Prince smiled and buried his face on the smaller man's black silky lock, inhaling the refreshing scent lingering off him before he began planting kisses on his face again. He was about to proceed further but the door suddenly slammed open to reveal an annoyed, red-faced young prince of the Southeast Kingdom.

"Rise and shine, you fuckin' lovebirds!" The prince yelled, unaware of the situation they were in. "The servants had no nerve to knock on your door so I freakin' do it myself!" Alfred made a whine as a sign of protest but was ignored. "If you guys don't come down sooner, no food for you then!"

He was about to continue in his rambling when High Prince Antonio ran up to him and whisked him away. "Lovi, don't be rude to our guest. Let them take their own time." Smiling an apologetic smile at the couple, Antonio gestured them to continue on their business. "I'm sorry if he interrupt you guys. If you need anything, just tell the servant." And the two princes disappeared down in the hallway. They could still hear some laughing sound made by the High Prince as he joked but the other prince just yelled back with a "CHIGI!" and neither wanted to know about it.

"I'm sorry if you had lose your interest just now." Kiku said once they were left alone.

The prince mumbled something incoherent but let go of Kiku. "That can be settled later. Let's get going, we had an adventure waiting for us." With that, the two of them got up and prepared for the day.

* * *

The two of them headed to the dining area where they were greeted by the four other royals who were in the midst of dining. Feliciano sat on Ludwig's lap as he heartily fed Ludwig a wurst and some mashed potatoes. Lovino was glaring at the blonde while Antonio was eating his favourite paella as he joked. The duo did not know what he was saying, but it sparked quite a reaction on the younger prince as his face began to colour that he threw a fork at the High Prince, causing Antonio to jerk a bit. Upon seeing their guests entered, Feliciano flashed his usual bright smile. Ludwig acknowledged them with a small nod, which was a good thing. Antonio smiled and greeted them but Lovino smacked him on the head, muttering a string of curses as he went on.

"How was last night?" Antonio asked after he regained his composure. "I hope you two had a good rest from the journey."

"We are really grateful of your hospitality." Kiku mumbled as he bowed his head. "But is it really fine for you guys? I mean, Mister Carriedo, we have been such a trouble to you."

Antonio stood up from his seat and waved his hand dismissively. "It's not much of a problem." He said before gesturing Alfred and Kiku to take their seat on the dining table. "It's just that the two of you reminded me so much about the past. I couldn't say no at your request of escaping the law just because of your feelings."

"Ve~ Antonio is right. You can stay here as long as you want, we will support you always." Feli perked up as he fed Ludwig another spoonful of mashed potatoes. "Just make yourself comfortable."

Alfred just nodded before thanking them, "As the prince of Main Hetalia, I thanked you all for offering us shelter. I promised that once I went back and become king, I will be a good ruler to all of you."

Antonio smirked, "A good ruler, just like your fathers. Though I just don't understand why they won't let you married a servant boy, after all they had been through. I just hope that you will make up with them, we don't want trouble to happen again among the kingdoms." The High Prince bit his lip, seeming like he had something in mind, though he tried to hide it from the rest by showing them his usual carefree smile. In the end, he chose not to bring up the topic and trusted Alfred to settle the problem by himself.

The rest of the royal left the dining hall once they had finished their meal, leaving Alfred and his lover alone at the dining. "Kiku, is there something wrong?" He nudged the smaller man the moment he noticed how quiet the other had become.

"I-I… I just don't know… B-But is this really the right thing to do? I mean, how are you so sure that King Arthur and King Francis will never accept our relationship? And just how long are we going to stay here? We can't just hide away forever, someday we will be caught." The servant boy stated his anxiety as he toyed his platter of food with his fork. He just can't really took the sudden change of life. His simple garment were now replaced with elegant silky robes that suited him too well and the food he ate now was just too much of a luxurious for an ex-servant. It felt he was in a dream, yet it was just too real to be a dream.

The crown prince hefted a sigh before wrapping an arm over Kiku's small frame. "It won't be long, I promise. Someday I had to go back and talked about this with papa and dad. It's just that… I need some time to get ready for this." Alfred said as he held Kiku in his embrace. "I just need a little support from other people to proof that we will win this game."

Kiku just hugged back the crown prince, his prince, as an attempt to comfort him. "You had promise it already, don't you? We will be together through thick and thin. And I will always be by your side no matter what. Moreover, I'm sure that people will support us, like Natalia. If not, then we won't be here anymore. And these people helped us, because they support us too."

Alfred smiled at the servant boy. "I guess you're right after all. We'll get through this in no time." The two of them glanced out of the window to see the city getting lively as morning risen. "Say, shall we get going on an adventure, my love?" The prince said playfully as he twirled the silky black strand of Kiku's hair.

Kiku just smiled back as he felt pleasure running up his spine. "Hai, I have never been to the Southeast Kingdom before. I really want to see how does its city looked like."

"That was a pity. Since we are here, why not let's go sightseeing? I know a lot of places that will surely excites you." The prince released his hold on the servant boy before taking his hand. Smiling, he led the way out of the castle as the two of them went running out into the street.

* * *

On that night after the two of them had decided to run away so that no one could forbid them from loving each other. They had decided to speak to Natalia about their plan since she was (probably) the only one supporting them. And much to their delight, Natalia supported their decision to run away while she began planning their ways of escape.

"Hey move on, hurry up and load the luggage!" And that was when an idea came into her mind the moment she saw a carriage preparing to leave the castle.

High Prince Antonio was keeping an eye watch on the servants as their belongings were loaded onto the carriage. He waved his hand in the air and greeted them the moment he saw them, "Hola, Lady Natalia and Prince Alfred, what brings cha' here?"

As a reply, Natalia curtsied before answering, "And may I inquiry what you are doing here in the middle of the night?"

Said prince laughed a bit as he stretched his muscle. "It's not really that late in the night yet. Moreover, I'm just making up my time."

Alfred noticed Natalia quirked her eyebrow at that statement and began wondering what plan has hatched in her mind. "So? You're sneaking out to have some fun?"

"Of course not, I have to return back to my kingdom." Antonio replied. "Prince Alfred's birthday bash was over and I need to return back home. A kingdom cannot rule by itself, a leader must be there all the time."

"Why not wait until tomorrow morning?" Alfred asked, "I mean, it's better you take proper rest here before setting off. Won't that be tiring?"

The High Prince shook his head. "I would love to, but I had an arranged dinner with some nobles two nights after this. If I don't hit the road, I might not be able to make it in time."

"So you had no choice at all." Alfred nodded his head in understanding. "I hope you have a safe trip."

Antonio was about to continue on his business but something struck on his mind that he began questioning, "I was wondering, Crown Prince Alfred." He began, "You're now eighteen years old, legal enough to inherit the throne. But there's only one problem there."

"And that is?" Alfred questioned, already knowing the answer.

"You need a queen, a wife or a husband or a spouse as whatever we called. You need to get married before nineteen as tradition dictates. But with how you are now, I suppose that you haven't found the person you dreamt of in the ball, haven you?" Antonio asked, the sentence a bit of a playful tone.

Alfred tensed up a little, Kiku held on onto his arm as if trying to comfort him. Natalia took this as the cue to speak, "Please refrain from saying such words. Prince Alfred has his own problems to deal with." It seemed to work, as her icy cold words sent the High Prince backing up a few foot.

"Natalia, it's alright." Alfred suddenly spoke up. "I can tell him myself." Everyone, including Kiku perked up when he said so. "A hero never runs away from his own problem. It will only make him a coward."

Kiku seemed to hesitate for a while. Both his hands tugged on Alfred's arm tightly as if he was afraid to lose him. "Master Alfred… Are you sure about this?"

Alfred gave him a firm nod before facing Antonio. He then informed Antonio about what he knew, starting from his relationship with Kiku and his problems regarding his fathers rejecting his decision on choosing a servant boy as his spouse. And of course, his decision to run away from the law that tried to rob away his happiness. At first, he thought that Antonio would advise him to break up with Kiku as how his brother Ivan did. However, what Antonio said next had sparked up a new hope in him.

"You had my support, Prince Alfred." The Southeast High Prince said, which caused Alfred to widen his eyes in surprise. "You did not do anything wrong. It's just that your fathers…" Antonio stopped halfway, rather unusual to see him being this serious. He seemed like he was trying to tell Alfred something but chose not to.

"I don't care 'bout that whatever shit. They're nothin' but trash that try to make me live in misery. I can't stand this thing anymore." Alfred lamented, tears at the edge of his eyes. "If I don't make use of my chance now, I will lose the thing I treasured the most and I will never be happy like that tale of a prince and his beautiful servant."

"Alfred, those are just fairytales, and they're different things from reality. You can't expect your life to be like a fairytale." Kiku said. Natalia, however, said otherwise.

"No, Alfred is right. Even if life cannot truly be a fairytale, but who said that you're not allow to have that happiness you deserved, even if it's just a little?" The princess said. "And since this is your chance, why would you reject it when it's something you yearned the most? That would only hurt you even further."

Antonio nodded in agreement. "That's right, I can't stand seeing your happiness being ruined by the freakin' law and tradition. I will help you in escaping."

At this, Alfred felt hope tugged in his heart. "What do you have in mind?"

Smiling, Antonio gestured to his carriages. "Why not? I'm going to welcome you and your lover to the Southeast Kingdom for shelter. You had just came in the right time."

"Is that fine to you?" Alfred asked doubtfully.

"As long as you're happy, I will be happy too. I will make sure that you two were given proper care and well-hidden from the rest."

Never had Alfred felt so happy in his life. A saviour had appeared before him! He never thought that everything would've gone this smoothly. Excitedly, he and Kiku went off to get prepared for their silent leaving while Natalia thanked Antonio as she entrusted him to take good care of them.

It was not long after that King Arthur and King Francis came to send off their guests. As the two kings were busy exchanging words with High Prince Antonio, Alfred and Kiku sneaked into one of the carriages, nobody noticed them and they safely left the border.

The journey to Southeast Kingdom took about 2 days when travelling by carriage. Alfred and Kiku found themselves not only in the company of the Southeast High Prince but three other people as well, Prince Feliciano and Lovino, younger brothers to Antonio, and Prince Ludwig who was making his visit to the Southeast Kingdom under Feliciano's request. All the while when they were in the carriage, Feliciano would do intimate gesture with Ludwig such as sitting closely and kissing each other, which caused Lovino to glare at them while Antonio just chuckled. They found the atmosphere uncomfortable but managed to bear through it. Kiku even managed to come up some conversation with Feliciano who was always so carefree in sharing things. Alfred even found some company with Ludwig who seemed to have more knowledge than one would expect. Otherwise, the journey was rather awkward most of the time.

* * *

Before heading off to the world beyond the castle gate, Alfred went off to the stable to get a horse. Kiku wouldn't admit it aloud, but he did felt his face heat up when Alfred came with a gallant white horse just for their little trip out to the city square. This was Alfred, his prince, surely he did look good wearing in that and riding a horse.

"Hey, hop on!" Alfred yelled, "let's go on an adventure."

Kiku just looked at Alfred, then the horse. Seeing Alfred so high up on the horse back was just so good, but then, it made him dizzy as well. Feeling fear overpowering him, Kiku took several cautious step backward. "Um… I-I… I had never ride a horse before…" Before he could even finish, he felt a pair of strong arms carried him and slung him over the horse back. Kiku could only yelped in surprise as he turned back to see Alfred smiling at him as he helped him righted his position.

"If this is your first time, hold on tight then. We don't want you falling off." Alfred said before kicking his horse and pulled its check rein. The horse neighed and galloped towards the city. All the while, Kiku himself onto the horse man while struggling not to fall. Luckily, Alfred hooked an arm securely over the smaller man's waist to keep him from falling.

* * *

The Southeast Kingdom was considered to be the liveliest kingdom among all other kingdom. The street was crowded with people who were flooded all over the market square. The kingdom was also famous for its unique and mixed culture, as well as its artistic building design, which made it a famous attraction spot for people from many places. Alfred guided Kiku walking among the crowd so as not to get lost. The two of them walked from stall to stall, occasionally stopped by to look at some goods.

Alfred led Kiku to a spacious circle zone in the middle of the street. "This is the city central." Alfred said. "Usually they would have some special event in this place."

"You seem like you know a lot about this place." Kiku said as he laughed a bit.

"Dude, I'm the hero and hero leads the way." Alfred boasted. "Besides, I know this place because I sneaked out from the castle several times when papa and dad brought me here."

Alfred suddenly caught something in his ears and turned around to look for the source. Kiku heard it too and whipped his head around to see live musical performance in the middle of the street. A few number of youth began gathering the space as they danced along with the music.

"Let's dance for a moment." Alfred said. Kiku nodded, since he had no excuse to reject. He thought that it was just some dance they did during the ball on Alfred's birthday. Instead, he found himself wrong when Alfred began performing several complicated move and steps that he had never seen before. There doesn't seem to have a proper way of dancing in the street, everyone was just happy with themselves as they made some funny movement. Alfred pulled him to his side as he made Kiku to dance together with him. The servant boy watched in awe as the prince moved his body in perfect sync as the music slowly began to turn loud and crazy, which made him wondered if the prince had somehow picked it up when he ran away from the castle. Kiku struggled to keep up his pace with the prince, nervous at first until he managed to find his own pace and began dancing with all their spirit as if they had forgotten who they were. Alfred took this as a cue and grabbed hold of Kiku's hand. The servant boy barely had enough time to register what was happening when his lover suddenly spun and twirled him around, making him dizzy yet excited at the same time. They were here, after all, just as Alfred and Kiku, not a prince and a servant boy. They can do anything here as long as nobody noticed it.

The two of them danced until they were both sweat slicked and too tired to dance even more. By the time they had retired dancing, Alfred led Kiku all the way to another place. They rode the horse down the street, avoiding the crowds until they reached a quaint countryside just outskirt of the city.

Alfred helped Kiku down the horse as they walked towards the lush, green meadow that appeared to engulf the entire countryside. Both of them found a comfortable spot not too far away from a wooden house and laid down gazing the sky.

"Do you like it, Kiku?" Alfred asked after a moment of silence.

"As long as you like it, I'm happy." Kiku smiled at him.

"Y' know? I heard this place is called the meadow of bond." Alfred said. "Those who came here will find the person they're destined to love. For couples, they were destined to love each other for an entire lifetime."

"And you believe in it?"

"I guess so." Alfred smiled back at him and pulled him closer. "During one day, I ran away from the castle and came across this place. I pray to be with the person I loved the most and someday I will return with him or her to show that our bond will not falter. And here I am with the person I loved."

"It was really beautiful." Kiku commented. "I had never seen somewhere so green and beautiful before other than Main Hetalia castle garden. The Northern Kingdom is always so cold that the plants do not live long in there."

"Whatever," Alfred said. "let's just enjoy our time being together."

The two of them spent the entire afternoon in the meadow, chasing and running around like two young children. By the time when they retired back to the castle, the sun was already at the horizon. The two decided that their dinner to be sent to their room as they retreated to their own chambers to clean up.

* * *

Although it was winter already in this season, the Southeast Kingdom did not snowed. The only thing notable was the drop in temperature and windy cool weather. Kiku shivered a bit as he felt the cold pricked his skin and pulled his kimono tighter in hope to block out the cold. Even though he has live in the Northern Kingdom for several years, he still can't get used to the cold, not even this little amount of cold in the warm Southeast Kingdom. Alfred came out from the bathroom his upper body naked and a single towel wrapped around his waist. He then noticed Kiku huddling at a corner. "What's wrong? Are you cold?"

"I… I will be fine…" Kiku said as he curled himself even more, face red. "Didn't you feel cold at all?"

Alfred just grinned as he went to pick up some wood and placed it in the fireplace. "I don't feel cold at all. I just have enough muscle and fat to keep myself warm."

"I don't envy you." Kiku mumbled.

Alfred chuckled a little and went to wrap his arms securely around the man's petite frame. "There, feeling better?" Kiku just blushed and felt his entire body heated up to the point of exploding. Yet, it felt so good and reassuring at the same time that he just gave in to the prince's warm embrace. "Hai, much better. Arigato, Master Alfred."

A sly grin spread across Alfred's face as he went to lick Kiku's ear playfully. "Is that so? I can make you feel even better." As he said, one of his hand went to roam the other's slender body built, eliciting a purr and a moan from the man. "A-Ah… Al… No, don't…"

"Why not?" Alfred asked back mischievously. "Quit lying, you enjoy it, don't you?"

"Mm… F-Feel so… good, ah…"

Slowly, the prince began undoing the smaller man's clothing as he began planting kisses all over his lover's face. Kiku moaned in pleasure as he hugged Alfred tighter. Alfred caught his mouth in a hot searing kiss. Kiku opened up for him to enter his cavern as their tongue intertwining in a dance.

Taking this cue, Alfred slid his arm and began loosening the man's clothing until it exposed his pale, unblemished skin to him. Kiku shivered a bit when he felt his prince teased his nipples and lick the area just below his chin. "A-Ah… Hah, Al…" He felt a pair of teeth sank into his skin that he knew it probably bled but he could care less for that. It's a mark to show that he belongs to Alfred.

Savouring the mark he left on the Asian man soft skin, Alfred kissed and licked it as if to assure the other that everything will be fine. Slightly calloused hand ran down lovingly until he reached Kiku's hip, stopping there to ask for permission before going further. Panting, Kiku arched his back and gave a small silent nod as a gesture for him to continue. After gaining the right to do so, Alfred gently untied the knot holding Kiku's kimono before he began revealing the pair of slim legs beneath the silk clothing.

Finding Kiku's semi-erected member, the prince began licking and sucking the pre-cum dripping off from its tip. "A…A-Ah… Alfred…" Alfred placed his fingers on Kiku's lips, "Suck it." And Kiku did it as Alfred said, licking and coating them with his saliva. Once Alfred thinks it was enough, he draw back his fingers and slowly entered one digit into Kiku's entrance.

"Um… Mmm… Ahh! Al… Fred…" The smaller man moaned and buckled a bit at the slight discomfort of something foreign entering him.

"Fuck, Kiku, you're so tight." Alfred mumbled before adding another digit and began scissoring his lover to get him prepared. The sudden stretch of muscle caused the smaller man to wring and arched his back and his grip on the sheet tightened. Alfred whispered words of reassurance in Kiku's ear as he slowly pushed a third finger into Kiku, stretching the tight ring of muscle while searching for Kiku's pleasure spot.

"Al… Alfred… A-Ah, there!" Kiku yelped a bit when Alfred hit somewhere deep inside him, knuckles turning white from gripping the sheet. But all that pleasure disappeared when Alfred withdraw his fingers out of Kiku, causing the servant boy to whine in displeasure.

"No worries, I'm going to give you something better." Alfred grinned as he began undoing his only clothing—the piece of towel wrapped around his waist. The cloth fell onto the floor with a silent 'thud' showing off the prince's muscular frame. Kiku took Alfred's body built silently, feeling jealousy boiling in him for being so fragile in front of him.

Adjusting himself in between Kiku's legs, Alfred lined himself before his entrance. He lifted up one of Kiku's legs effortlessly before thrusting himself into Kiku. His member hitting the other man's pleasure spot.

"Ahn… M-Mmm… A-Alfred, m-more… More…" Kiku pleaded, his voice hoarse from moaning. Alfred caught another chance and captured Kiku's lips in his own, both their sweaty body rubbing each other in contact. Kiku just hugged him tighter and wrapped both his legs around his prince while Alfred thrusted again into him.

"Nnh… A-Ahh! Al… I'm going to… cum…"

"Then let's cum together." Alfred said as he made one last final push inside Kiku, causing the smaller man to release his cum flying all over the sheets. Alfred came after him as he let his seeds entered Kiku, causing a mess. He then crawled onto bed and laid next to Kiku, enveloping him in a hug. He glanced outside the window to see the beautiful starry night sky.

"Y' know, when I was younger, papa and dad would told me a story about a princess and her love. Then later, brother Ivan would told me about a story of a prince and a beautiful servant girl. Those were such beautiful and amazing stories back then." Alfred said. "I had always wished that I would live Happily Ever After just like them."

"But Alfred, they're just fairytales. There's no way it would happen in reality." Kiku muttered quietly.

"I know, right? It does sound silly that I still believe in those shit even I'm now grown up." Alfred laughed a little. "I lost my hope in those stories when Mattie died. That was when brother Ivan convinced me to believe in them again. I never knew why I believe in him, but I felt myself letting go of that painful past and accepting how it was."

"I'm just glad that you're willing to let go of the past." Kiku smiled a little as he let Alfred embraced him.

"Perhaps I'm glad I did." Alfred said. "And I realized that life CAN be a fairytale after all, though not very complete." He gazed out of the window to see the stars glittering in the night sky. "Because no matter what happen, everything will end happily ever after. And I think, it could also meant death as well, a happy death."

Kiku felt chills up his spine. "Alfred, don't say such things. It was bad."

"But Kiku, you know it too, don't you? A man has to die when his time was up, be it natural or karma, but when they died, it shows that they had live up to their lives and fulfilled what they intended to do when living." A sad smile graced across the prince's feature. "Mattie may have died in a very horrible way. But I believe he was happy in his place, that's because he was quite happy living together with me and growing up together. Even though we cannot be together now, I hope that we will meet again someday, so I must keep smiling for Mattie's sake."

"Alfred…"

"I know it sounds silly. But I just don't want to stop believing in these tales because it made me feel happy and forget about the pain. Just like how we were separated and how people will not accept our relationship, but we managed to get through them and live together happily. Isn't that just like the element in a fairytale, the ending is a Happily Ever After no matter how many bad things had happened?"

"But Alfred, this isn't over yet." Kiku said. "You know that we can't just live on like this. We still have to face King Arthur and Francis, and Prince Ivan. We won't live on happily if we never explain everything to them. Moreover, you're a prince. You have to return back to where you belong, you can't just keep hiding like this, it's very unhero-like."

The fire has long died down and the only light source in the room was the faint moonlight coming from the window. Though it maybe dark, but Alfred could make out the tears that clouded his lover's brown orbs. He slowly reached out a hand to cup Kiku's cheek and ran his thumb to wipe away the tears. "And again, we have to face reality once again. Either they accept you, or you will be sent off. I hope it's not the later, but my responsible came before my happiness, so I just have to do it." Looking deep into Kiku's eyes, he asked gently, "I will always remember you and I will always love you, only you, even though I will marry someone else."

"Alfred, what are you saying?" Kiku asked, confused.

The moment when he said that, Alfred's hand went the nightstand just beside the bed and pull out a box. He opened the box to reveal a silvery ring adorned with a blue diamond he had bought from the market this morning before kneeling on the floor facing Kiku. "Kiku, I promise I will fight for you until the end of my days. Even if we cannot be together, I just want just to tell you this before our days were over. I promise you from now till the end. I love you."

Kiku looked at those gentle blue orbs that always captivated him, like a light in the dark. Kiku stared at the blue diamond that reflected so much like Alfred's eyes as he felt himself both at shock and surprise at the same time. Hugging his beloved prince close to him as he felt tears running down his cheeks, he choked, "I will, my prince, I will love you no matter what happens between us. I will wear your ring until my dying days."

Smiling a small smile, Alfred slid the ring onto Kiku's finger before he went to kiss away the tears streaming down his cheeks. "In case we're forced apart, wear my ring and you'll remember me, just like how I will remember you forever." And the two of them sealed their little engagement with a kiss under the night sky with the moon and the stars as their witnesses.

xXx

Had I done something wrong in the last part? It just feels a bit not right in there that I just don't know how to put it to words… And I think I fails in the lemon scenes as well. I just kinda rush thing.

And my university reopens at this moment of time. I wanted to finish this thing before it starts but I got hooked up with my video games again that left me no choice but to finish it by now. I hope you all enjoy reading this little scene and feel free to criticize me if I did something bad on the characters.

My university had started again and I'm sure my homework and assignments are gonna drown me. But I will try my best to update whenever I had the time to do so. Here's a little sneak peek for the next chapter: a bonus story featuring one of our minor pairings in the story. Can you guess who is it?

**AthtarKuroCat**: Thanks for the review. I'm glad that you like the little love story of Natalia and Toris. I hope you enjoy reading the upcoming chapters.


	20. Bonus Chapter (Spamano)

**One Last Fairytale (Bonus Story): Always There**

That day, Antonio went to give his younger half-brother, Francis a visit at his little home. While he knew that the young man had been chased out of the borders by the King of Main Hetalia as a punishment for seducing the Crown Prince, there was something… off with him.

"Francis, what was in your mind?" Antonio finally asked on a certain afternoon when both of them were taking a stroll in Francis' garden. He noted that how his younger brother would dance and sing and twirl around as if he was in a dream. If not, he would sit quietly by the window gazing far away as if he was in a daze looking for something.

Francis ignored him as he gently plucked out some roses and began dancing in circles while pulling out the petals and let them scattered all over the place. Antonio just watched him day-dreaming while hearing Francis humming an unfamiliar tune.

"Now, now Francis, stop it!" Antonio yelled, snapping the blonde out of his daze. Said person stopped his movement and turned to look at him in confusion, "Antonio, when're you h'ere?" Francis asked.

The Crown Prince of Southeast Kingdom just rolled his eyes before replying, "I had been standing here all the time when you came here."

"Oh, is it? Désolé A propos de ça." Francis winked at him before walking up to him, "What didya said just now?"

"I was asking what's in your mind?" Antonio asked. "I mean, you hafta been dilly-daily all over the place since day one you return. You've never been like this before, you know, like a mad teenager in love. So I guess there's been something bothering you in your mind, is it?" Antonio paused for a while when realisation hit him as he faced Francis with wide eyes. "Speaking of which, you should've return weeks ago. You aren't assigned on escorting Seychelles in the Crown Prince court last week, so why you…"

"I swapped my position with the guard…" Francis replied before he could even finished his sentence, "I volunteer to escort Seychelles to Main Hetalia. And I just…" Francis trailed off, walking into the house with Antonio following him.

"And after that, you ended up being kicked back here?" Antonio asked knowingly. "Seriously, you should get a better control of yourself." He huffed and crossed his arms before his chest as if giving a lecture, "you know how much father has to been through just to get you outta that freakin' place?"

Francis whined, "But Tonio, that was something outta mon control." And after that, Francis seemed to have taken another personality. "Ah… Mon Arthur, mon Angleterre… I want to see you…" The blonde cried in a drunken manner as he gazed at his finger where a single silver band circled his ring finger.

At first, Antonio was confused. Until when he noted the ring and the scandalous news of his younger brother, he began putting the pieces together. "W-Wait! Wait a minute, don't tell me… y-you…" He stuttered, fearing for the worst.

Dark emerald green eyes locked into a pair of sparkling blue orbs that reflected full of despair. Before he had time to continue, the younger one lunged himself at him and embracing him. "Why does this thing has to happen?" He lamented. "Can't they see that I truly love you, Arthur? Or is it just because of the commoner blood I carried? You understand how it felt right, mon petit lapin? My father is a royalty but my mother a commoner and even though my family loved me, I will never be treated in the same place as the royalty… I will live forever as a person just one level above the commoner…"

"Francis, snap out of it!" Antonio snapped, grabbing Francis by the collar. "Do you really think that people will approve of your relationship with a Crown Prince? That's absurd, you know it already from what treatment they had given you. Besides, do you think that the Crown Prince would even give a shit to your feeling? I bet he's just playing with your feeling."

Francis shook his head in denial, not convinced by his words. "T-That's… impossible, Antonio. Don't you understand? I saw it by myself and felt it all by myself." The blonde said, clenching his fist tight as agony, despair, sorrow and all sort of emotion boiled within him. "Arthur truly love me… He told me, he will never love any of those princesses. If he didn't love me, then why would he let me get so close to him? We even had our first time together, it felt as if we were made for each other."

Antonio took a step back when he heard what Francis had said. "W-What? Y-You… You did that with him?"

"It's a sign that of true love!" Francis corrected him. "Whose fault is this? Love has no border, no limitation and no rules. It worked naturally upon our feelings… So is it wrong to love someone with a status higher than you? Has anyone said that before?"

At this point, Antonio became speechless. He knew that it was useless to convince Francis to change his mind, his deed was already done. To be precise, he knew that his younger brother was a flirt, a trait he inherited from his father. But most of the time, he lured young girls just for entertainment, he didn't even go that far because he knew Francis didn't truly love them at all. He never thought that Francis would fall for the Crown Prince and became so mad in love, that's just not like the Francis he usually know. And again, he had to admit that Francis was right, it's not Francis' fault that the Crown Prince loved him, it's just how love works upon them. Antonio just heaved a sigh, hoping that Francis and his little lover won't get into much of a trouble being together.

"I give up. It looks like you're dead set on it that I can't do anything. But, what do you plan on doing now? There's no way you can return back to Main Hetalia, they will kill you."

Determination flared up in the blonde's blue eyes as he clenched his fist on his lap. "I don't care what they're planning to do to me. But I will save my Angleterre out no matter what." He stood up and looked out from the window as if seeing a faraway vision. "I had promised to bring him to see the Northern Light, even if it means kidnapping him. I will take him with me, take him away from sadness and sorrow, just like how a prince swept away his princess so that they lived happily ever after, right?"

Antonio held down a chuckle. "You can try, but there's no way you'd stood a chance winning." He walked up next to his half-brother's side and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "But if you're so into it, I might give you some useful advice. From what I heard from father, the Crown Prince was confined into his room with security 24/7. The King has arranged him to marry Princess Liech of the North Kingdom by this coming Wednesday… which the Northerner are not very happy with the decision…"

Francis was silent at the piece of information given. He was stunt at the moment as if trying to decode what Antonio informed him. A small smirk spread across Antonio's face as he stood up and ready to leave. "Father isn't going to object your spouse, he gave you his blessing. And I will give you mine too." He said, causing Francis to close his mouth upon receiving the news, it was just too sudden. "Better hurry, prince charming. Go and save your 'princess' before it was too late." Antonio said teasingly before leaving the room, silently praying to himself that Francis got his little hint.

* * *

Antonio didn't heard much about Francis after that. Though he received news from his father that High Princess Katyusha raided her army led by Vash and succeeded from Main Hetalia, it was also mentioned that the Crown Prince was kidnapped in the incident as well. He may not know the full story well enough, but he could definitely attest that Francis may have involved in the rebel as well.

His questions were answered the next day just after the North Kingdom had succeeded Main Hetalia. A letter from Francis was delivered to him, stating that he has ran away with the Crown Prince and went to live in the North Kingdom under High Princess Katyusha's protection. He was not going to return, since the kingdom no longer allied with Main Hetalia, but he promised that he will write letters whenever he had time. That time, Antonio felt a pang of jealousy stabbed him but he gave Francis his blessing and wished him the best.

Francis' letters had been quite discreet after the first one. The contents were almost the same with nothing interesting, except to note that he was living well in the Northern Kingdom. That was when a second long letter came six years after the first one, and the news truly shocked both Antonio and his father. Francis stated that he don't know how it had all happened, but his spouse, the Crown Prince, was pregnant with his child! And that was more than enough to let High Prince Roman jumping all over the place exasperating about being a grandfather while lamenting Antonio for not getting a woman sooner or later like Francis had, which really annoyed him to no end that he no longer had the mood to continue reading Francis' letter. And again, Antonio could feel jealousy began boiling within him.

* * *

Speaking about babies, a new set of twins was welcomed into the Southeast family. Antonio sighed again, that ol' man of his had fucked up another lady. It was no surprise when he learnt that the mother of the twins was Francis' mother's sister, another servant in the Southeast castle. Undoubtfully, the two ladies are related, which made them had the same charm that attracted High Prince Roman. Antonio just don't understood why his father was so attached to them, they weren't very pretty, save for those wavy blonde hair and fair skin tone, and their personality perhaps, he just don't get it.

"Antonio, my boy, come and meet your new brothers." Roman said heartily as he led his eldest son to the nursery chamber. He entered the room and met a pair of identical twins. Both looked so much alike that he can't even tell them apart. Roman did inform him that the boy with lighter brown hair and brown cheery eyes was Feliciano, the other one was Lovino, whose hair was deep auburn and dark green eyes like his. He was not sure whether he had actually listened to his father's words, because he had never know how to tell them apart, and it was very confusing.

Watching the twins growing up wasn't something enjoyable for Antonio either. He was jealous that everyone has a mother by their side taking care of them and giving them warm hugs to comfort them, even those who were poor had a mother, but him, a prince don't. He never had much memories of his mother, they said she was a beautiful lady with dark red hair and green eyes similar to his that matched her elegance and noble pride. But those were just rumours to him, not an experience. His father leaked out to him on one drunken night that his mother died shortly after his birth, which Antonio felt that he himself was to be blamed, though no one did. He just felt that he always lacked a piece of something compared to others, a motherly love.

* * *

Yet, devastating news came months after the surprise message. The North Kingdom was under attack by army led by Main Hetalia. The entire fortress and castle collapsed into rumble within hours. Arthur, Vash, Liech and the children barely made it out alive, but the rest weren't so lucky. High Princess Katyusha was killed, Francis, Roderich and Elizaveta were nowhere to be seen and were assumed to be dead as well. Everyone was devastated by the news. Driven by grief, the young crown prince came to them for help in hope he could avenge his lover's death. With that, rulers of Southeast Kingdom and Western Kingdom vowed to help the Crown Prince in overthrowing his father so he could take over the throne.

Antonio did took part in discussing battle strategy and came up with proper battle plan, but he did not get to join the battlefield thanks to his father who asked him to go and retrieve something from the kitchen cabinet only ended up to be locked up. Antonio was still mad about this, he wanted to avenge Francis, but that was never done. And after the battle, those whom they thought were dead actually returned back with just tear and scratches but nothing serious, which surprised everyone. His father and High Prince Germania were the only casualties on that night, that old man might have seen it coming all the while and had not let his life go waste.

Once the rebellion was over, things went on as usual. He was ascended as High Prince Antonio of the Southeast Kingdom. Gilbert was too young to take the throne, so the authority was given to Roderich and Elizaveta who would act as Gilbert and Ludwig's guardian. The same goes to Natalia, but she was adopted by the Crown Prince himself and the kingdom affairs were handled by Vash and Liech. Francis went to rule alongside with Arthur after Main Hetalia castle was rebuilt and restored. They brought their children as well as both the Northern children with them. Being rulers and having to raise four children at one time, they had quite a hard time handling that.

Everyone was so busy in raising children, and Antonio found himself in the same situation as well. Ever since his father's death, he have to take over full responsibility in taking care of his youngest twin brothers. Sadly, the twin's mother died of an illness months ago before the fall of the old North Kingdom, a similar case that happened to Francis' mother years ago, a compilation that runs in the family line. Thank goodness that both Francis and the twins looked healthy enough, Antonio could worry less about that.

But his real nightmare was raising the twins all by himself. Antonio was not married, something that his father complained for not being a grown-up. Long before when Antonio was 18 years old, his father has arranged meeting and engagement with young eligible women in hope that he will find himself a suitable spouse to rule alongside with him. However, Antonio was rather unlucky, he didn't have his father's flirtatious trait nor his brother's charming demeanour, which ended up with him returning empty handed or being rejected by the girls. And after several failure attempts and breakup, Antonio completely gave up in hope of finding a spouse.

And it has become a nightmare that would haunt Antonio for a lifetime since he don't know how to take care a child like what Gilbert said 'you're really hopeless.' He didn't even know how to tell the twins apart! And when he attempted to make bottled milk for them, the hot water would ended up scalding his hand and milk would spill all over the place, only to get the servant to clean it up and helped him with it while the twins would stare at him amusingly.

Well, perhaps he did struggled for quite a while in the beginning. As the boys began their first steps, Antonio began to grow more familiar to their behaviour, which allowed him to tell them apart easier. On one evening, he was enjoying some of his free time while watching the twins playing around. It was then when he heard one of them cry. He rushed to the scene only to see Lovino pulling Feliciano's hair. The younger of the twin cried in agony as he tried to wring himself out of his brother's grasp. Lovino then delivers a kick which sent him tumbling onto the ground, causing the poor little boy to wail even louder.

"Lovi, what the heck are you doing to your brother?!" Antonio questioned as he quickly went to help the poor boy up to his feet.

"Chigi!" The boy just exclaimed. Antonio froze on the spot, how did Lovino said such words, at the mere age of 2? Oh no, he must've picked it up when Antonio was nearby swearing, how could he be so careless?

"You aren't supposed to say that!" Antonio lectured him.

"You said that!" The younger boy retorted back, "Idiota!" Antonio would've faint on the spot when Lovino blurted out another word. He quickly scooped Feliciano in his arms and carried the boy to his room. "I will be back later." He told the other boy before disappearing upstairs. But then, he noticed that something was glistening in the boy's brown orbs before he completely lost sight of him.

* * *

A year after the mourning ceremony of the previous royals, Antonio intended to regain the title of Southeast Kingdom as the liveliest kingdom in the world. Therefore, he would held some dancing or festival event in the castle and the central square of the city in hope to regain its former liveliness. The people were happy with the freedom given and Antonio was more than happy to see his people enjoying their life in the streets.

When the twins were around 4 years old of age, Antonio would occasionally bring them for a walk in the city and letting them enjoying some of the events. Feliciano would happily played along with children about the same age as him but Lovino was completely the opposite, he'd preferred sitting alone glaring at everyone. People would try to approach and talk to him, only for him to scare them away.

"You should join the crowd. You will find some fun in it." Antonio told him one day during the autumnal festival. "You should enjoy your childhood before you lost it." He said while seeing the people danced to the music as the sky began to colour a hue of red, orange and pink.

"I don't like it." Lovino said with a frown.

"How can you said that? You never tried it before."

"I have fuckin' trying it already, 'kay? Many times, but I don't enjoy all these stupid things at all."

"Now, now, Lovino, don't speak like that in the public." Antonio said, glancing around to make sure that no one listened to their conversation (thankfully no one did). Feeling himself becoming speechless, the High Prince of Southeast Kingdom just gave Lovino a gentle pat on his back for reassurance before he got up to conclude the event.

However, happy things were not meant to last long. Danger was still lurking when people were not expecting it.

It was another event Antonio had decided to throw in the castle during winter, or what people would refer to as 'The Winter Ball'. Nobility across the land came to attend this majestic ceremony, including Roderich and Elizaveta, Gilbert and Ludwig was left behind at the West Kingdom. Vash and Liech remained isolated as usual in the North Kingdom, Arthur and Francis kindly declined the invitation since they had their hands full with the children. In the beginning, everyone was enjoying the life of their time dancing and having fun on that night. Feliciano played along with other children while Lovino continued to stray away from the crowd.

That was when it happened. There was a scream erupted from the crowd. Antonio turned around to see what the racket was about and saw two men armed with swords attacking at the civilians. One man who was trying to protect a lady was gravely injured by one of them. The crowd who witnessed this panicked and began to flee the room. Roderich and Elizaveta helped the soldiers to escort the people to safety while fighting with the attackers. Antonio turned back to where Feliciano and Lovino were once at, only to find them gone.

No one had ever seen Antonio being so panic stricken before, he was always a laid back person most of the time, though serious when it comes to battle and duty. But this time, he did let himself loose as if he was on fire. The Southeast High Prince ran out of the ballroom into whatever direction he feet brought him to. He was afraid that the worst would come, Francis had informed him before regarding the collapse of Main Hetalia castle. And his father had also said that Feliciano and Lovino could be a target too since their blood is similar to that of Francis. He could care less about other stuff, but what matters now were their safety.

Antonio raced all his way out until he found himself in the castle garden. Guards performing their patrol saluted at him. Panting, the High Prince gave a brief but clear order to seal every exit in the castle and watched out for intruders. The guards in charge didn't questioned much, just bowed before heading off for his duty. Two guards joined by Antonio's side to help him search for the lost princes. They ran around the large garden maze, almost getting lost in it, but they found no signs of the children. They decided to retreat back when they heard screams echoing from the other side. Antonio ran straight towards the source of voice and found Feliciano huddling with other children at one corner of the maze.

"Feli!" Antonio sighed in relief as he went to embrace his younger brother. "It's okay now, I'm here." He said reassuringly while wiping away the tears that were rolling down the boy's cheek. Poor little one must be scared of all the battles and frightful scenes that happened just now. "Where's Lovino?"

"Fratello…" The little boy sniffed and sobbed before continued, "H-He… Fratello run away… some scary men are chasing him." And that news struck Antonio like a lightning. He quickly ordered the guards to bring the children back to safety in the castle while he alone continued to search for Lovino.

Antonio ran out from the maze where Feliciano was and ran in whatever direction his feet decided to. All his thought on that grumpy boy, praying to god for his safety. He was about to head back to the castle when he noticed a path made by someone. The flower bushes were in a mess as if someone had just ruined it, and there were some footprints left on the grass. Finding a glimmer of hope, Antonio followed the tracks until he reached a secret part hidden in the garden.

"Now, now, that's not a right way to be a hero, you little bastard." He could heard someone said tauntingly. "There's no escape now. But I cannot let you go either, I was given orders to kill you." The man said as a wicked smile crossed his feature, placing his glinting knife before the little boy in a threatening manner.

"L-Let me go, bastard!" Lovino yelled and struggled as a futile attempt to escape, but the man has an iron grip on him. He picked up Lovino with ease as the young boy began thrashing around.

"Stop! Don't hurt him!" Antonio came out from his hiding spot and stood before the man glaring at him menacingly. "Leave that boy alone! He don't deserve to be dead!"

"And do you have the right to command me, High Prince Antonio?" The man said mockingly. "Your kingdom was one of them who caused our downfall, especially for that stupid father of yours. Well, at least both our efforts weren't wasted, he got what he deserved for helping the Crown Prince who caused nothing but hell to the kingdom."

Antonio gritted his teeth in anger before spatting out, "My father is not stupid! He's a ruler with justice and understanding, unlike that ol' insane king of yer who crushed people's happiness just because they were against your stupid rules!" He took a deep breath before he continued, "What's the problem with a prince loving a commoner or someone of lower status than him? It's just how love works, no one's fault."

"And then what's the end?" The man smirked. "Until the end, you all chose to betray my king just for someone else happiness. I'm sorry, but I had to kill you too since you're against my king."

"We do this isn't just because of Crown Prince Arthur!" Antonio made it clear. "We all do this for the sake of our loved ones as well! People like you who were so greedy with power and stick to your rules will never understand the feeling of caring someone you love."

He was about to continue with his rambling but the soldier suddenly raised his sword and placed it threateningly at Lovino's neck. "If you speak another word defiling my king or if you dare to make a move, he will be killed in a flash." At this point, Antonio was silenced. Making a gulp before gritting his teeth, he took a cautious step back, stupid solider using a poor, innocent child as hostage. He won't forgive him! But even though he really wanted to use his sword and slit at the person's throat, he knew better consequences in doing so, that man would've work faster than him and killed Lovino instantly. He surely don't want to risk it. The man just smirked as he walked towards him triumphantly, pressing the blade deeper into Lovino's throat. "What now? Are you scared already?"

And at this point, fear seemed to have taken over Lovino that he began screaming. "Save me, you fucking idiot!" On cue, Lovino urinated out of panic that dirtied the man's hand and some part of his body that he let go of Lovino in disgust. Antonio took this as his chance and went off to kill the insane soldier in a single slash. Lovino closed his eyes in fear when blood splattered all over his face. When he opened his eyes, the man was already dead in a pool of blood, his dead eyes staring directly at him.

"Lovino, are you alright?" Antonio didn't even care to clean himself up, he quickly went by Lovino's side and hugged him but the young boy pushed him away. Realisation hit him that he had just killed a person in front of a child, it must've terrified him to no end. "L-Lovino… L-listen, I-I…" He tried to come up with a proper explanation but the boy did not want to hear his rambling. He shoved Antonio aside and quickly left the garden, leaving Antonio alone to think about what he had done, but the most mesmerizing thing he remembered was how fearful and upset the boy's eyes look when staring at him.

Later that night, Elizaveta and Roderich informed Antonio that they had slain and caught some of the men who were trying to cause riot in the castle. The ringleader, though, had escaped. And from what they remembered, it was a familiar old man figure. Antonio did some questioning on his prisoners but choose not to give them freedom as they were beyond insane. Though he already knew the answer without needing any questioning, the old mad King wanted revenge and he was taking this out on Antonio's family because they were part of the rebellion who helped Arthur to success the throne. He had the nightmare several times before that, witnessing Feliciano and Lovino's death that was just too much to handle. He managed to save them (Lovino was barely alive) this time, but he was worried that the same thing would happened again, so he need to do something in order to protect the twin.

Ever since that particular incident, Antonio had greatly reduced the need to hold festive event. Even if there's an event being held, he would not allowed the twins to leave the castle ground, though sometimes he would caught one of them running away for a when his guard was lower. He also attempted cross-dressing them as girls so as to keep their identity intact. Feliciano didn't seem to have a problem with this, as if thinking that he was a girl after all, though he got very upset when his friends no longer wants to be with him. Lovino was completely the opposite, freaking out and protesting most of the time when the maids tried to dress him up in a dress, but decided to go along after several useless thrashing about. Antonio felt bad for them, Lovino especially, he don't want to force them into doing what they don't like anymore. But it was still particularly harsh for him, as they continued to grow, 'Felicia' became a charming, cheerful 'girl' and 'Lovina' began picking up more words and grew very conscious of her surrounding that 'she' would yell profanity at anyone who seems to offend her, including Antonio himself. He couldn't help but found himself gazing into a pair of emerald pools reflecting his own confusion.

* * *

Antonio's nightmare prediction did came true two years after that incident. He had tried to warn Arthur about it, but little could be done to it. It just happened on one peaceful looking day a few days after Prince Alfred and Prince Matthew's 7th birthday. That was the first time Antonio brought the girls out of their kingdom for a visit in another kingdom. Though Antonio really wished to stay a little longer, he had to take his leave soon due to work. And when news about the tragedy hit him, he felt sorry but can't do anything for the people there and their losses. He felt himself so useless and vulnerable that he don't know what to do. He didn't even knew he was crying until he felt someone handed him a kerchief to wipe off the tears.

"L-Lovi?" Antonio blinked in confusion as he accepted the kerchief, surprised to see Lovina comforting him.

"Stop crying, adults don't cry." The child said.

Antonio just sniffed. "Why are you comforting me?" He asked, feeling embarrassed to cry in front of a child.

Lovina was quiet for a moment, before saying, "Your face don't look good crying, it's better you smile like you usually did."

And it was Antonio's turn to be silent. His tears had stopped flowing, he could felt heat rising up his cheeks. Breaking his face into a big grin, he enveloped the younger one into a hug before the other even had time to react. "You're so cute, Lovi."

The young princess struggled and kicked around for a moment until she was finally released from the elder's embrace. She just glared at him red-faced, as if saying, 'what the hell was that for, bastard?!' The two stared at each other for a moment before she huffed, turned away and broke the silence. "I didn't mean anything…" She said shyly, "It's just… Your eyes just looked like my eyes when I'm sad…" She quickly fled after blurting it out, not wanting Antonio to see her face.

* * *

And time flies again, everyone mourned and grieved those whom they lost before they moved on, continued their life fulfilling their goals. Antonio continued with his daily routine, work and meeting, and sometimes attending events to freshen up himself. And already at the age of 45, he was still not married, which the council were not happy with it. They had made numerous attempts to persuade him to find a spouse or introduced him some nice ladies in hope that he would live up to his responsibility and produced an heir for the next generation. Still, Antonio remained unmoved by their decision to the point that he forbid his council to talk about his marriage prospect, the officers could do nothing but gave up their effort in searching a bride-to-be.

Eleven years were gone instantly in just a blink. The twins were no longer little children, and they were not addressed as 'princesses' anymore. Antonio had decided to break to them about their true identity after years of hiding and disguising as a girl, explaining all the purpose he did and apologizing over and over again that he troubled them throughout the years. Both 'princess', now realizing their identity as 'princes' were having a hard time adjusting themselves to live as a boy. Such that they got their previously long rich brown hair trimmed and began wearing clothes that looked more boyish. Feliciano would often behaved like a girl of proper manner and etiquette, totally forgetting that he was a man especially when he begged to dance with a man on one dance. Lovino began to make use of his gender that his behaviour took a large impact on it, often spat and throw strings of bad languages in front of guests whom he felt insecure with.

Both princes had already sprung into a pair of fully mature adults, with attractive features and distinctive personality. Feliciano had grown up into a charming young man with a face that could make him the center of attention. Accompany with his carefree and cheerful personality, he could easily flirt and charmed young ladies and men alike, a trait which he inherited from his father, the late High Prince Roman. Somehow, Antonio was jealous. He admired both Francis and Feliciano ability to win over people's heart and attention. Francis had easily won over the heart of the usually stern and rude Crown Prince, he already had a family earlier than Antonio did. And someday, he believed that Feliciano is going find himself a good future prospect. The boy has always been talented in all sort of skills like art, music and even trade. Thanks to him, the economy in Southeast Kingdom has improved greatly due to his trading skills.

Lovino, however, was rather the opposite of Feliciano. His life was a bit of that of Antonio, or what his father sometimes would call him as 'a charmless loser'. Like Antonio, he did tried to flirt with young ladies as well, but the ladies would end up turning away from him probably because of his behaviour or his usually grumpy expression. Besides, the young man's skills was even lower than normal unlike that of his brother. Antonio felt s surge of sympathy for the older of the twin but he felt Lovino was just like the younger reflection of him, the same eyes, the same fate and the same sadness.

* * *

And so, it had come to this. It was Crown Prince Alfred's eighteen birthday and the kings had decided to hold a masquerade banquet so that Alfred could find himself a suitable spouse. While it sounded lively and fun, Antonio knew it better than the rest. It was rather a farewell ceremony to your childhood and stepping into adulthood, meaning a world of duty and responsibility, not of dream and fantasy, they're all gone. And it was not easy finding a suitable spouse as well, someone as unlucky as Antonio was enough to see too many heartbreak and break up that he swore to himself that he will never get married.

As usual, Antonio sat along with other royals as they oversee the crowd dancing all over the dance floor. Occasionally, he would join the dance as well. Though he tried to hide his annoyed expression, the young ladies would flirt with him and struck some conversation, mainly commenting on his 'still single' status. And that was just more than enough to make Antonio winced in disgust when he made himself clear how old he has become, there's no way he would find a girl too young for his age. Moreover, he just can't handle lust like his father, doing it just made him feel sick.

Antonio took retirement from dancing after several hours, heaving a sigh of relief to leave that hell of a place. He gratefully accepted a glass of wine from a servant before heading out to the balcony to inhale some fresh air. What surprised him, however, was he met up with the sight of Lovino leaning his back on the balcony railing while eyes hidden beneath the mask scanning the dance hall with a frown.

"What a surprise to see you here, Lovi." Antonio commented jokingly, taking a sip of wine. "Do you enjoy dancing with all those young girls?"

Said question only caused Lovino to frown even deeper as he huffed, "They aren't my fucking interest at all. They're just a bunch of bitch."

Antonio just chuckled. "I thought you're always trying to find pleasure in young ladies. Moreover, shouldn't you find yourself a suitable spouse to marry?"

"As if I would fucking do that!" Lovino exclaimed. "Why should I find a girl? My spouse can also be a man if I had a choice." He added, "Moreover, girls are all the same, pretentious and care for nothing but themselves."

"Hmm… Perhaps you have a point there…" Antonio said nodding his head, "But that's not an excuse to not marry."

The younger prince turned around and glared at him. "And what about you?! You're so old and still not marry, everyone was tired on finding a spouse for you and just when are you going to get an heir to take over you?"

Antonio shook his head. "Like you, I had no interest in girls at all." He explained. "I know it's hard, but I just can't find myself the right person." He said this as if it came out of his mind. Their conversation was interrupted when Lovino noticed Feliciano talking with a certain blonde hair man. Later that night, it made him wonder that made him said those words. Whenever he thinks about it, he would be reminded about Lovino, the little child who rebel and refuse to listen to orders. A child who has a unique personality but was not appreciated in this world. That boy would always reminded him of his younger self, as if they were connected, why would that be?

* * *

And so the next night, Antonio had voluntarily invited Lovino for a dance. The younger prince seemed to ponder about the offer but decided to accept it anyway since it was just for the sake of other people watching them.

But then, they had just only danced for half an hour when they came across Feliciano waltzing with Ludwig. At this point, Antonio could feel Lovino tensed up in anger as he glared at the couple that he accidentally stepped on Antonio's foot. The younger one embarrassingly mumbled and apology before excusing himself from the dance hall. Antonio just watched him retired in confusion.

"Is something the matter, Lovi?" Antonio asked, heading to the balcony where Lovino was.

"It's nothing, really." Lovino lied. When Antonio pressed on, he had no choice but decided to speak the truth. "I just got jealous when Feliciano got hooked up with a certain young man."

"You mean that guy dancing with Feli?" Antonio glanced to catch a glimpse of the couple dancing. "He is Prince Ludwig of Western Kingdom, High Prince Gilbert's younger brother, though illegitimate."

"So, I'm right after all. He's that stupid potato bastard years ago." Lovino cursed.

Antonio shushed him from saying any other dirty stuff. "I don't see anything wrong with that." He said, "Beside, they really made a good matching, don't they?"

"Si, si, whatever you said, when Feliciano decided to runaway with that guy, then you will be all alone." Lovino said mockingly.

"Oh, I have been lonelier than I have been." Antonio said in a mockingly hurt tone. "Besides, I still got you by my side."

"Oh, shut it!" Lovino yelled, red colouring his cheeks.

There was a moment of silence before Antonio broke it with a serious tone, "Lovi, what do you think about me?"

Lovino seemed stunned at the statement, but decided to answer anyway. "My feelings for you? Who cares for a stupid tomato bastard like you?!"

"You do." Antonio said jokingly, face cracking into a grin.

"I didn't fucking say that!"

"Then why would you accept my offer to dance with me? I saw you had been rejecting several ladies just now."

"CHIGI!"

"Oh, you're so cute, Lovi~" Antonio laughed for quite a while before he finally hold himself down and returned to his serious mode. "But, I'm really serious with my question, Lovi."

And again, Lovino was silent for a moment. The cool summer breeze blew by, they seemed deaf to the world but the swaying leaves of the trees. "I… I just… d-don't know…" He stuttered. "If I were to be honest… I could said that I do not hate you, but I don't really like you either."

"How is it that you can't hate me if you don't like me?"

"Like I said, I don't know." Lovino shrugged. "But then, you kinda always remind me of how similar we look. We were both luckless in love, we have no sort of talent at all and all we want to do is just to relax and enjoy our lifetime, don't you feel the same?"

Antonio couldn't help but surprised by the younger prince's words. He always thought that Lovino was blunt, perhaps even more than a dope of his brother. But here, he really gave Antonio another new eye. This boy was also an observant, just like his brother, but he just not that straightforward and don't really express himself like the other twin. "H-How… How did you know that?" Antonio gasped.

"I'm with you all the time!" Lovino said. "And not just because of that, it's because you and Feli are the only members of my family closest to me."

Antonio somehow understood what the boy was saying. When little, the boy would often cause trouble on his younger brother and spoke some inappropriate words for a child. At first, he thought the boy just wanted attention from those around it or maybe something for fun since children tend to act without proper reason. But over the time, he realized that that was not just it. The boy was lonely, and jealous too. He had lost his parents at young age, it was hard for him already. And when compared with his brother, the younger brother would always steal the spotlight and he ended up being ignored. Other than his appearance, he didn't have anything similar to Feliciano, so he was jealous with all the attention Feliciano got while he was abandoned. Watching the grumpy boy growing up, Antonio somehow saw the younger him within the boy, a simpleton with nothing whatsoever special and strife to live up to people's expectation. Antonio made it through after all those vigorous training that his father finally approved him, that was more than enough to make him happy. But for Lovino, no one would approved him. And somehow, the boy made Antonio forget about other thing else and just sympathy the boy, he wanted to hug him and comfort him as a way of approving him, he wanted to love him and pay him all the attention only at him.

But wait, why is he thinking about this? Antonio snapped himself from his thought and faced Lovino, who was watching him expectantly. Gathering his courage, Antonio posed a question. "So, have you think about having a family?"

Lovino heaved a sigh and gazed into the moonlight. "I wish that I could have a complete, loving family." He said. "You and Feli are the only one left in my family. But now, Feli got hooked up with that potato bastard. So it's possible that someday he will leave too, and then you too, then I'll be all alone."

So that was why Lovino was so mad when he saw Feliciano dancing with Ludwig. He don't want to lose someone closest to him, his very own twin brother. It hurt him to see someone left him again.

And is that a reason why Antonio never married until now? Antonio couldn't tell the answer. That night, he just laid on his bed, staring emptily at the ceiling. Why does his chest hurt so much? It always felt itching when he was with Lovino, but why does it hurt till the extent that he felt like he was burning? This couldn't be… right? The feelings he had for the younger prince, what is it?

* * *

"How did you and Crown Prince Arthur fell in love?" Antonio remembered this one private conversation he had with his half-brother, Francis. "I'm surprise that you can made someone as hot-headed as the crown prince to fall in love with you. Is this a joke?"

"Nonsense, Antonio. That's just how love works." Francis said as he took a sip of his wine. "It's because of that personality of his, I like that. And when we first met, I can already tell that we're already falling in love."

"There's no zuch zhing as love in zhe first sight…" Antonio mumbled like a person who had just lost his heart.

"Pff… You can be so clueless when it comes to love, you're really father's idiot." Francis said cheekily. "Love knows no boundary and has no principle. When it's time to work, it works by itself, guiding you all the way to the person you're destined to."

"If things can be so simple, I wouldn't have been unmarried yet."

"I told 'cha, you're just too blunt when it comes to love stuff, mon ami." At first, Antonio just don't know what Francis was implying. But now, it seemed like he finally had the answer to the question. It was not because he was luckless in love, he just haven't met the right person.

* * *

On the third night, Antonio did not caught sight of Lovino anywhere in the ball. Worried, he asked Feliciano, who told him that Lovino went to the garden to relieve himself. Without hesitating, the Southeast High Prince took his leave for the garden where he found the younger prince standing by the pond in the garden.

"Lovi, are you alright?" Antonio asked.

What surprised him even further was that he noticed tears glistening in Lovino's eye. "Lovi, what's wrong?"

Sad green eyes looked at him before their owner threw himself onto Antonio. "I'm… I'm a garbage."

"What are you talking about Lovi?" Antonio asked in confusion.

"I said I'm a fucking garbage!" Lovino said, louder this time. "No matter what I did or what I try, nobody will ever like me, I can never be like Feliciano. I'm just a useless bastard that has nothing at all."

"Lovi, that's not true." Antonio said soothingly. "You're not useless, there's always something you're good at." The High Prince rubbed soothing circle on the boy's back as he gazed into the clear night sky. "You had always know how to treasure those whom you hold dear to. You are sharp enough to notice things people don't. And even though you didn't stand out as good as Feliciano, it doesn't mean your effort are wasted, it was just that you try harder than any other people."

Lovino's sob had grown quieter by now. He just looked at Antonio with teary eyes, seemingly to expect something from him. Antonio gently used his thumb to wipe off the tears staining his face. "You know, when you first caught me crying. I thought you will tease me for being a crybaby but you comfort me and even gave me a new light. And I realize that just how special you are but I just don't know why. That was, when I realize that my life was never lonely ever since you're born, it's because you lit up my light."

"What are you saying, tomato bastard?" Lovino questioned, turning his face away so that Antonio won't see his face. But he didn't expect a confession to come soon.

"I like you, Lovi. Don't you realize it? I finally understand why I was not able to find myself a suitable spouse until now. It's because, you're the rightful person for me."

"That's nonsense, you idiot!" Lovino exclaimed. "We're siblings and we can't marry. A-And you're too old for my age!"

"Does age truly matter? Does our relation is really such a trouble?" Antonio sighed and turned away. "I know it sounded strange and bordering impossible, but there's no way I could lie about my feeling. I just want to honestly tell you about how I feel for you. It's up to you to accept it or not. It's alright if you don't accept me, I understand how you feel and I won't bother you anymore, just be honest to yourself. Sorry 'bout that, I will leave you alone." He was about to walk away when he felt a hand tugged at him.

"Wait, don't go. T-there… There's something I want to tell you as well." Lovino stammer, not letting the High Prince see his face. Antonio turned back and felt hope tugged on his chest.

"I-I… I know it sounded strange… But… But I really do love you, Antonio. Not as an older brother or a High Prince, it… it's just like how lovers do." He lifted his head up a bit, letting Antonio caught sights of his cute blushing face that resembled like a tomato. "I-I just realize it myself too… But then, I was afraid… I was scared that people will reject our relationship, a-and… And they will force us apart and we will never be together again…"

"No, nothing will do us apart." Antonio said as he handed a beautiful daffodil to Lovino. "You're jealous that Feli had someone to love. But apart from that, do you wish your brother to have a lifetime of happiness and love from this person whom he loved?"

"S-Si…" Lovino mumbled just audible enough for Antonio to hear. "I just hope that Feli would be happy together with that potato bastard, even though he is stupid."

"Then we are the same." Antonio decided. "No matter what, where or when, I will always be by your side, just like the time when I watched over you growing up. There's no need to care about the others, what matters is we will be together from now onwards to the very end. Don't betray your feeling, it will only hurt yourself."

"That was a cheeky answer, idiot." Smiling a bit, Lovino accepted the daffodil—a sign of unrequited love, from his lover. "So, does that mean you're finally engage?" Lovino asked mockingly.

"You can said so." Antonio grinned, "After all this party thing is over and we finally go back home, we will have to adopt a child."

"W-wait, do you mean adopt? You're going to have an heir?"

"As a High Prince, I need an heir to pass down my legacy. And that means, we're going to start our married life as a family."

"Idiota! We haven't said our vows and exchange rings yet, how can you thought about this so fast?!"

"Because tonight is our wedding night!" Antonio proclaimed. "There's no need to let anyone know, do we?"

"But there's no need to rush."

"Ahh… Okay, okay, all that can wait for later." Antonio said. "For now, let's enjoy our first dance as engaged couple." He said and pulled Lovino back into the dance hall. Ignoring the staring eyes from the crowd, both of them waltz crazily around the room as if they were deaf to the music. While embarrassed, Lovino just couldn't help but smiled at the person, his brother, caretaker, then lover. And here, he will be by his side forever, always there for him, always there…

xXx

This chapter took a whole lot of my time. And again, I'm stuck with even more assignment, homework and tests that I can barely breathe. I may not be able to update regularly but I hope you all would enjoy reading my story while waiting patiently for my new chapter.

When I was writing this chapter, I had a hard time with the plot. Spamano isn't really on my top list and I just don't quite know how to portray the characters. I just tried to make it as simple as possible since this is just a side story. As usual, I hope you enjoy reading it and feel free to leave me a review to make up my day.

There would be a few more bonus chapter featuring several minor pairings. But other than that, the main storyline will soon come to an end. And I promise, everyone will surely get their own Happily Ever After.


	21. Chapter 17

**One Last Fairytale: Time Forgets**

How long has it been since Gilbert last saw that scenery before his eyes? The images that had motivated him to become stronger for the sake of his loved ones.

_"__Ivan, get back here!" Gilbert called out as his horse tried to keep up with Ivan's. "There's no need to rush. We will get lost."_

_The taller prince stopped his horse from galloping before turning to face him. "Don't you get it at all? It has been a week and we have yet to find them. What if something bad happened to them? Or they ended up in such situation? I had lost Yao once, and I don't want Alfred to share the same fate."_

_Gilbert muttered something under his breath as he kicked his horse to a slow down. "And what's the point of trying to get Alfred back? If you never approve of his relation with Kiku, there's no way he will return."_

_"__It's none of your business."_

_"__It's my fucking business to deal with you. It's been so long and you haven't get out of it. Alfred knew what was right and he deserved to have it. Just why don't you let him do what he pleases? I don't see Kiku as a bad candidate." The albino huffed as his horse walked pass Ivan's._

_"__That's because I don't want him to suffer the same fate as I do." Ivan scoffed. "If you don't understand, just leave me alone. I don't need someone like you to help me, you are just a bother."_

_"__But…"_

_Before Gilbert could finish his sentence, Ivan kicked his horse into a gallop as he went off into a distance. "I will find him and bring him back myself."_

_"__Ivan, wait!" Gilbert yelled and made his horse into a gallop, trying to catch up Ivan in the flurry of white snow. He can't even tell where he was since the surrounding was covered in snow._

_Oh god, please don't let anything bad happened to him… Gilbert pleaded as he looked around the snowy field to pinpoint the other prince. But all he could see was a blanket of white-covered ground with the snowflakes falling down from the sky accompanied by the freezing wind._

_"__Ivan!" Gilbert called out as he wandered around to search for a human figure._

_He didn't remember how long he had travelled, but he managed to catch sight of a faint figure standing far away in front of him. "Is that you, Ivan?" He called out as he approached the figure. To his disappointment, however, it was not the person he was looking for. But for a person to be standing alone in such place, it mean no good._

_"__You over there, excuse me. What are you doing here in the middle of nowhere?" He asked, he could felt his teeth clenching due to the cold. "Are you lost? Do you need any help?"_

_The person slowly turned back to face him. The person has long hair held in a ponytail and an exotic clothing that seemed to be made of silk. Gilbert somehow found the person to be quite familiar. But when the person turned around to face him, he felt his blood ran cold when he saw the person's face. Before him, stood Yao, his face covered in blood and his face and body were beaten up._

_"__Y-Yao?!" Gilbert backed away on instinct upon seeing Ivan's dead lover._

_The spirit opened his mouth and seemed to be mumbling something. "I-I-Ivan… trouble…" He said, words broken and voice hoarse._

_"__W-What are you trying to say? What the hell is going on?" Gilbert asked, confused._

_"…__Protect Ivan…" was the only words Gilbert could hear from the ghost before he vanished. Gilbert may not fully understood what Yao was meaning, but from what he heard, something bad might happened to Ivan. In full speed, he galloped his horse in whatever direction he thought Ivan would be. But by the time when he found Ivan, it was too late. The younger prince had fallen face down on the snowy ground, his pool of blood stained the pure white snow. Gilbert was not willing to accept this, knelt down to find a pulse or a heartbeat, but the later was neither breathing nor panting. At that moment, Gilbert felt his heart stopped beating. Ivan was dead, he had failed to protect him…_

Gilbert woke up to find himself laying on bed sweating and panting. It took him a few seconds to calm down before sitting up on bed wiping the sweat off his brow. It was that dream again, the images that flashed pass him more than ten years ago. Everything was still so fresh and vivid in his mind, especially the moment when Ivan dropped dead, his breathing stopped and so did his heartbeat. It was just too real to be a dream.

"Hey, are you getting up?" Ivan's voice came from a certain distance. And he instantly remembered that he followed Ivan on his search for Crown Prince Alfred.

"Alright, alright, just a moment." Gilbert said as he shuffled out of bed as he hastily put on a probable clothes before heading off to the dining.

"What's eatin' ya?" Ivan asked, sipping on his coffee. "You usually got up earlier than me."

"Now, that's not awesome." Gilbert huffed. "I just got caught up with something, nothin' special." He rang the bell to call a waiter and took his order for breakfast. While waiting for breakfast, he had a glance on what Ivan was having – pancakes with eggs? Now that's weird for it.

"I thought you hate pancakes, kesese." He grinned a bit, causing the taller of the princes to glare back at him.

"I just… missed eating it…" Ivan said bitterly before he swallowed down another piece of pancake. Gilbert could tell that he forced himself to eat it.

"Is it because it reminds you of Yao's cooking?" Gilbert would have slapped himself for saying such things in front of Ivan. For the seconds he finished his sentence, Ivan frowned even deeper and his face ended up hidden behind his platinum blonde hair as he continued to dig up his food.

"So, he hasn't got over it yet…" Gilbert thought to himself. He just don't know how to make Ivan opened up. He had been through many hardships in life that robbed all those important to him. Gilbert sympathized him, he wanted to help him, but Ivan had fallen into depression state that even Gilbert himself could not recover him like last time. "Is there really no more hope for Ivan?" Gilbert asked himself, his hand clenching on the piece of scarf he had brought along.

"How long are you planning to just stand there?" Ivan called out for him, second time for the day. "If you don't intend to move, then I will just head off without you."

"How many times I told you? It's not awesome to leave me here." Gilbert said, trying to lighten up the mood. "I'm coming anyway."

* * *

Both princes packed their belongings and headed out of the inn they were checking-in to the stables next to it. The stable boy brought them their horses and Gilbert gave him a coin as a tip before they left.

Gilbert had lost count of the days since they left Main Hetalia castle. Was it a week? Two? Or maybe a month? He cannot tell. All he remembered was he followed Ivan all the way from Main Hetalia to find Crown Prince Alfred. First, Ivan decided to head off to the direction of the West Kingdom to search for Alfred. From what Gilbert knew, there won't be any rulers residing in the West Kingdom at the moment since his brother, Ludwig was visiting Southeast Kingdom, whereas Elizaveta and Roderich were still staying at Main Hetalia. It could be possible that Alfred will find shelter here since it was the closest from Main Hetalia and all the rulers were currently outstation. But their hopes were turned down when Alfred was never seen or no one actually saw the Crown Prince roaming the West Kingdom at all. Therefore, Ivan had set to travel to the North Kingdom since Arthur and Francis had once ran away to the North Kingdom before, Alfred could've done the same thing.

Winter was already closing in. Main Hetalia and the North Kingdom are now covered in a thick blanket of snow, it is predicted that the West Kingdom will begin snowing on next week. During their stay in the West Kingdom castle, Gilbert had brought with himself some warm clothing and coat to keep him against the cold. Since the route from West Kingdom to the North Kingdom could take as long as four to seven days depending on the weather.

"Are you sure that we are supposed to head north?" Gilbert asked for a third time as they began travelling north.

"If Alfred was not in the closest kingdom, then he could be at the farthest kingdom." Ivan said, marking the map.

"Are you really sure about this?" Gilbert deadpanned, "I got a bad feeling."

"It's not like I wanted you to follow me." Ivan shrugged. "You can go back if you wanted to."

"Of course not, leaving you alone is the most unawesome thing." Gilbert snorted as he kicked his horse to catch up with Ivan's. "I can't just let you run alone in the wild. What if something happen to you?"

The taller prince turned away and fixed his eyes on the road. "It doesn't matter that I died. There's no purpose in my life anymore."

Gilbert mumbled something incoherent under his breath as his horse trotted behind Ivan's. "I don't care if you're gonna died or what, but I'm not gonna let that happen, because I'm gonna protect you, no matter what." He insisted stubbornly.

"Try if you may." Ivan mocked back before the two continued in their search silently.

* * *

The road to the North Kingdom was just like what Ivan had remembered. The path was covered in snow as it dwindled and stretched an unknown distance in front of them. Their view were blocked by the thick fog and mist winter has brought along.

Gilbert and Ivan travelled several days ridding on horseback. There weren't any place for them to stay for the night, so they ended up having to sleep in the midst of the blizzard with each of them taking turn keeping watch and sharing some meagre food they had brought along.

"Hey, aren't you feeling cold?" Gilbert asked as his horse tried to keep up with Ivan's. Snowstorm continued to blew their way, making Gilbert shivered as the cold prickled his skin. Even with his coat and scarf, it just couldn't block out the cold.

Ivan didn't utter a word. He continued walking down the road, the cold seem to be nothing to him.

"Man, this is freakin' not awesome at all…" Gilbert gritted those words, feeling his body frozen in the cold. He kicked his horse gently to urge it to follow up with Ivan's.

Ivan, on the other hand was lost in his own world. As he continued to walk down the path that will take him back to his hometown, memories of the past began to resurface in his mind. He had never wanted to come here in the first place, everything was just too painful to remember.

The two of them continued down the laneway in utter silence. It was then they finally saw a faint light faraway in the midst of the fog and they could smell smoke. Gilbert realized that they must be close to a village that he made his horse galloped in hope to catch a sight of people.

"What's the rush?" Ivan asked knowingly. Gilbert raced up next to him as they walked towards the distance where the light was. "Something tells me there's gonna to have something awesome ahead." Ivan snorted at Gilbert's statement. This was his birth place, so he knew this place better than him.

The mist soon cleared off and a village soon came into their sight. Both princes stopped in their tracks before taking the scent of the village, finding a form of relief in it. "Tonight's gonna be an awesome night, kesesese…" Gilbert snickered and the two headed off to find somewhere where they can stay for the night in comfort.

* * *

For the few days of their stay in the North Kingdom, Ivan searched the entire kingdom and asked the local if anyone has seen the crown prince whereabouts. But no one or nowhere was the prince has been seen.

"So, what plans do you have next?" Gilbert asked a sullen Ivan as they returned to the inn they were staying at. "It doesn't seem like Alfred came here at all."

"Whatever, I'm gonna track him down and get him back even if it means doing anything." Ivan said.

"Such a persistent little brat you are." Gilbert hissed.

"I thought it suit you better." Ivan mocked back.

"Yeah, yeah, just say whatever you like, not that I care." The albino prince said, crimson eyes looking off to the far horizon as if trying to pinpoint something. What day was today already? He totally lost count the days since he left Main Hetalia to follow Ivan on hunting Prince Alfred. He didn't like this one bit at all, the cold, the winter and that cold demeanour of Ivan's. He missed those days when they were young, he missed the Ivan from back then. How he wished that time will turn back and he will console Ivan properly so that he won't be the Ivan he knew of today. If possible, he wished that he'd never come following Ivan all the way here at all. Gilbert had intended to turn his back at Ivan and just let him be, seeing that he can never save Ivan's heart from the endless pit of sorrow. But then, when he tried to turn back, images of his nightmare will flash pass his vision haunting him, making him stop running away. He feared for Ivan, he was afraid to lose Ivan.

"What's with that? I expect you'd want to scold me or something." Ivan said, snapping him out of his trance. Gilbert gave his horse a gentle kick to close up his distance with Ivan. "And what would you expect with by scolding, not like it's going to change you in anyway."

"Same here." Ivan joked sarcastically. They continued walking down the hill until the village they were currently residing in came into view. Their horses trotted down the walkways in the village and walked pass the once lush, green meadow that was now covered in a thick blanket of snow. The blizzard was not very strong today so many children came out to play at the meadow. Purple eyes watched as the children began rolling some snowballs and began throwing at each other. He smiled a little, something rare to see of these days.

Of course, Gilbert noticed that rare smile too. His memories went back to those years when they were still children, too young to understand the adult world. He remembered that day when Roderich and Elizaveta brought him and Ludwig to visit King Arthur for their coronation day. It was snowing during that time. He and Ivan sneaked out of the castle to play in the snow. Those were such innocent time.

_"Ivan, come back here!" Gilbert called out as he tried to catch up with the other boy running before him._

_"Catch me if you can, da?" Ivan giggled as he quickened his pace. Gilbert's figure seemed to have shrunken ten times smaller as the younger boy continued to run forward._

_"Ivan, don't run too fast. You will fall." Gilbert stopped for a moment to catch his breath before continued running. That kid has been quite hard to handle when he grew older. "Ivan, watch out!"_

_On cue, Ivan slipped and lost his footing and ended up rolling down a slope. "Ivan!" Gilbert called out and dived in to save him but he was too late. He watched as the boy rolled down the slope and CRASH!_

_"Ivan!" Gilbert yelled, fearing for the worst. It wasn't until he heard something rumbling from below. Crimson eyes looked down at the slope where Ivan had rolled off just now. There was not even a scratch on the younger boy as well, and was climbing and giggling along the way. "I-Ivan… How?" And Gilbert could only stared at him with shock and at a loss of words._

_"There's snow down there." Ivan said, "it is soft and gentle, so I won't get hurt at all even if I jumped down from the sky."_

_"Geez, don't you know what kind of trouble you would get into if it wasn't for the snow?!" Gilbert yelled back. "You really got me worried." He huffed and crossed his arms before his chest as he turned away from Ivan._

_But what he received as a response was having a snowball hit his back instead. "What was that for?"_

_"An apology." Ivan said, picking up another pile of snow. "Your face looks better with that smile." He said before throwing another snowball towards him. Had he not avoid in the last second, the snow would've smacked his face._

_"Hah, such an unawesome apology." Gilbert boasted before his characteristic grin broke across his face. "This game will not be awesome without the awesome me, kesese…" He said, picking up a handful of snow and lunged them towards Ivan. And with that, the two began a snowball fight in the midst of the cold winter._

"Ow!" A kid's shrill scream snapped Gilbert back from his daydream. He looked down at his feet to see a boy no older than ten laying on the ground. Quickly, he bent down to help him up. "Are you okay, lad?" He asked, gently patting his head.

"Thank you, mister." The boy thanked him back. His companions then called out for him, various voices asking if he's alright and calling for him to re-join them to continue their fight. The youngster replied with a yes before running back to them and hurdled snowball towards the other children as an act of revenge.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself." Ivan commented. "Didn't you too?" Gilbert asked back. "Those were such times. You were so much different back then." He added, his voice a hint of bitterness.

Instantly, the smile on Ivan's face disappeared and he returned back to his cold self. "I'm not a child anymore. And there's no way I can have such beliefs in those tales. They are for the children."

"And why do you make Alfred believe in those shit?"

"That's because he's still young."

"Alfred's not a child anymore. He has grown up, going to marry and take over the throne in the future." Gilbert retorted.

Ivan snorted and retorted back, "Reality is just too painful to live in. I understand that, and it's something children would never dream of." He looked across the mountains, the direction where the sun was setting. "I don't want to see him getting hurt again. I don't want him to suffer the same thing I did. So I told him to believe in these tales for him to be happy. It's better to be happy even though you are living in a dream, rather than having to suffer the painful reality."

"Then why didn't you do the same?" Gilbert pressed on. "You deserved to be happy as well."

"And what would I get living in those kinds of dream?" Ivan heaved a sigh. "I'm tired of all this. I have been enough. Even though I once believed in those kind of stuffs, and I only ended up suffering more gruesome things. There's nothing at all in believing those kind of stuff."

"Ivan…" Gilbert muttered, searching for the right words to say but Ivan turned away from him as he continued to walk back to the inn, seemingly trying to avoid something. Seeing this, Gilbert pursed his lips shut and just followed him back silently.

Both were tired from hours of searching and travelling throughout the vast land, so both princes ended up being on bed after taken their dinner.

* * *

Fate is cruel. That's what Ivan told himself. It takes away all your happiness when you are still into it. Ivan was just one of its victims.

Fate has taken many people away from him since he was just a child. His mother was killed when his hometown was being invaded. In a blink, he and Natalia lost their family. If it wasn't for Arthur, he wouldn't be living until today. He thought that everything was over, nothing could be better than having a family to live in, right? But then, that hope was dashed when the castle he was living in was attacked. And this time, they killed the person whom he loved the most, Yao. At that moment, Ivan's world was completely shattered and he lost all his hopes in getting a _Happily Ever After_.

He knew it was painful to live in reality, to face the reality that someone died and suffer the pain of losing someone. But all those incident made him realize, there's no such things as fairy tale or a happily ever after. Those kind of stuff only serve to cover the truth and hid away people's pain and suffering, so that no one will feel sad for them. The truth will always remained hidden from them while the person behind this suffers alone.

Why do we tell all those stories? Why do people made us believe in those things? Why should we expect our life to be like how it was told? Yet, why is reality so much painful than these tales but we still have to continue living on these belief?

Arthur and Francis could have known it from the start. The story they told to Alfred weren't even the truth, some of the details were hidden. They knew it would be too sad for the kids to handle when they actually learnt about the full story. But what's the use of hiding all these when they will find out eventually?

_"__Ivan, do you remember why is she called Snow White?" Yao asked, showing him the book featuring Snow White._

_"__Skin as white as snow, fairest in the land. Blah, blah, blah…" Ivan mumbled in an uninterested tone. _

_"__And do you remember what saved her when she fell into death-like slumber?" Yao continued._

_"__True love first kiss…"_

_"__And what about this one?" Yao asked again, picking up another book from the shelf._

_"__Again, true love first kiss." Ivan deadpanned, wondering what will this game lead off to._

_"__And how was the beast revived?"_

_"__True love, again… Belle confessed her love for the beast before the last rose petal fell off." _

_"__Correct." Yao nodded his head. "As you can see, true love can stand against everything. Someday, you will find your true love and you will understand how the catalyst work."_

_"__But I already have one, and that person is you."_

_"__You are still young, Ivan." Yao said, as if he was a stern mother. "There is someone for you, better than who I am." His finger leafed across the bookshelves before he stopped at the ornate book spine of Snow White. "Especially this one. Remember how her life was saved and why she was called Snow White."_

Come to think of it, he was now already an adult, no longer the fourteen-year-old kid years ago. Yet, he still can't decipher what Yao was hinting at him years ago. Why does Yao have to be so difficult? Of course, this was all Yao's fault. He wouldn't be in such state if Yao had not died.

"Yao-yao, what are you trying to tell me?" Ivan mumbled to himself, his tongue subconsciously went to lick the scar at his lower lip. "Are you telling me that I should believe in those stories, the fairytales?" A sad smile graced across his lip thinking all those tales he once loved as a child. "Those aren't real at all. There's no way that such stories could exist." He said, trying to convince himself.

"Ivan…" A faint, soft voice called out for him in the background. Ivan startled a bit and tried to act as if there's nothing. But the voice called him again, this time louder but gentle. Ivan refused to face the person and quickly shield his ears as an attempt to block out the voice.

"Ivan, it's me, aru." The platinum blonde hair prince somehow found the will to face the person. Turning his head to face the owner of the voice, he saw the silhouette of Yao standing next to his bed. "Yao…" He backed up a bit at the sight of his former lover, "Have you come to pick me?"

Yao scowled at him. "You have changed, aru. You are no longer the Ivan I knew."

"Yao, take me with you."

The former servant just shook his head with a frown. "Ivan, I'm not here to take you, aru."

"I don't care." Ivan said, "All I want is just to be with you."

"Do you think we can be together if you die? In your dreams…" Yao closed his distance with Ivan and looked at him at eye level, his eyes filled with grief and anger. "You have forgotten, haven't you? You forgot what I told you before, aru."

"About what?" Ivan asked, a blank expression graced his face.

Yao huffed and crossed his arms. "About Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and all those stories you loved so much…"

"And what's the point of telling me those things? They aren't real at all." Ivan muttered. "You told me I could've found my true love. And here I am all alone and sad. If what you said is true, then you wouldn't have died, and I won't live in miserable."

"Ivan, things are not as what you think, aru." Yao said, he lingered around Ivan before settling next to him. "I may be dead, but this is not the end of story for you."

"This is not a story. This is fate." Ivan insisted. "Fate is cruel. It forces us apart."

"Ivan, it's fate that leads us to today." Yao said. "But that doesn't mean it is cruel. I died because it's my fate, I choose this path, aru… And I won't regret over it. You should accept the fact too, aru."

"How can you take it so easy?" Ivan snapped. "And why should I believe in those saying? They are nothing but just stories, foolish stories for children so that they won't know the cruelties of this world." Purple eyes locked at dark brown eyes, tears threatening to spill from it. "Believing in those things will hurt even deeper, there's so such things as Happily Ever After in the world."

The spirit of Yao stood up and walked to the window as he looked at the view outside. "You changed, but at the same time you didn't change that stubbornness of yours, aru. Somehow I like it, I don't know why." A faint smile graced his face thinking about the times when I'm alive. "Do you remember the time when the old North Kingdom was attacked? I'd thought that I will never see you again, aru."

"Me too…" Ivan mumbled, wondering what Yao was up to again.

"And do you remember the time when you first see the outside world and met someone important?"

"Escape to the West Kingdom, met Gilbert and play… Lots of fun, whatever, those were just the past."

"And you were so happy back then, even though you have been through life and death moment." Yao said gently. "Even after those harsh circumstance, it doesn't stopped you from believing in a better future, aru. So how can you just simply lose faith?"

Ivan was silent. He just don't know what to say.

"If believing in those tale hurt so much, then what's the point in letting Alfred believe in those stuff? And now, Alfred finally found his true love, yet you wanted to force them apart, won't Alfred be sad about it if you separate them?"

"B-Because I knew Kiku would end up with the same fate as you…" Ivan said. "I don't want to see Alfred being sad like me…"

"Even if you managed to separate them, Alfred will still be sad because he was unable to be with the person he loved, aru. And what will you do after that?" Yao floated back to Ivan's side and patted his shoulder gently. "Kiku and I may be related, but it doesn't mean that both of us will end up having the same fate. Just like Alfred, Kiku deserves to be loved as well, aru."

"Yao… then what about me? Shouldn't I be loved as well?"

"Of course you do, aru." Yao smiled a little, walking to the window again. "I will always be by your side no matter what. And I know there's someone who will love you the same way I do, aru." At that moment, the figure of Yao began to fade. Ivan tried to call and reach out for him, but he had gotten faint until he vanished in the air.

"Yao, no! Don't leave me!" Ivan called out, only to find himself sitting up on bed. He looked around the room and noticed Gilbert in deep slumber on a bed next to his. What he saw just now is just a dream? But it felt so real…

_Ivan, you actually wanted to believe in those tales but all those incidents you had experience made you lost your faith in them. You wanted to believe in them but you are too scared to accept it because you are afraid that you will lose someone again… There's a person whom you love too, but because you are afraid of what happens when you lose him, so you choose to ignore your heart and feeling. Your fate, rests on your hands and decide your future. Should you be honest to yourself and accept the happiness offered to you, or will you continue to dwell in despair? … The choices are yours…_

Was Yao hinting something at him, again? He just can't tell, he has no answer to that.

Slowly, he rose from his bed and walked towards the bed where Gilbert was sleeping soundly. He noticed a piece of clothing the Western High Prince had tightly clutched near his chest as if it was his own treasure. Upon closer inspection, Ivan realized it was HIS scarf, the scarf he once treasured so much. Since he was just a little kid, his mother gave him this scarf. After her death, this is the only thing he could kept in remembrance of her. It was torn during the chaos, but Gilbert managed to mend it back as good as new and even sewn some hearts on it. That was quite a sad moment. If it wasn't for Gilbert, Ivan couldn't have been here in the first place, there's nothing better than having a family. And since then, he vowed to treasure the scarf not only as the last gift from his mother, but also to remember the day he found someone important to him.

Fingers lightly ghosted across the fabric. It feels so old that it has become thin, loose and crumple during the time flow. He found the single red heart which reminded him of his mother, a gentle and warm-hearted woman, like a sunlight to him. At the other end of the scarf was four hearts stitched together. It was his family, his new family after the collapse of his homeland. Since then, Arthur and Francis has been a parent figure to them. And then, he continued to gaze lovingly at his little treasure which now belongs to others. Another thing to note is that the scarf was tattered and completely worn out, as if it was being torn into thousands of pieces. It was no longer beautiful and perfect like how it was years ago. Coloured strings and yarn stitched all the torn parts, as if the person was desperately trying to mend its scars and some of the strings had loosened out from its hold. He was quite surprised to see a single blue heart stitched in the middle of the cloth. It felt so soft yet so cold to the touch, as if the person was in some fragile moment.

Seeing how the scarf looked now, Ivan sighed as memories of those days came back into his mind. Things just couldn't stay the same no matter how he wished. That day, Yao was killed. Driven by anger and grief, he shredded and tore the scarf apart. Since then, he never saw it again, and he never wanted to remember about all this. Yet, he continued to wallow in sorrow and despair and just couldn't move on.

"Mommy…" As he reminisced with the past, he realized just how much he missed his deceased mother. When the last time was since he saw her, heard her voice? When was the last time he visited her grave and gave her sunflowers? He looked out of the window far across the horizon. The night was silent today, no blizzard or hail. Far far away, he could see the faint outline of the North Kingdom castle, blurred by the mist. But his heart seemed to be calling for it, yearning to return to his birth place. He did not know why, but he somehow gathered the strength to go the distance. He got himself dressed up, packed some of his belongings before heading out.

* * *

The castle of North Kingdom was like an ice castle in the midst of the city. Despite its grandeur, it looked cold and distance apart. Ivan can barely remember this place, the place where he spent his younger days in. But those were no longer here, the old North Kingdom castle was burned to the ground so many years ago that everything seemed so unfamiliar to him.

The prince ran to the back of the castle. He knew there was a secret path into the castle. And to enter the castle from this way, he will have to cross the royal cemetery behind the castle. This made Ivan wants to turn back even more, but he managed to brave himself to take step into the castle compound.

After making sure that there are no guards around the area, Ivan quickly sneaked into the graveyard. Beneath the snow covered ground, everything was nothing but silent. And all this silence only made the cold even worse, but Ivan could care less about his surrounding. His heart was dead after all.

The outer boundary of the graveyard is simpler and some can be rather unkempt. Most of these belongs to the servants or castle workers' grave, which most of their family don't live in the castle. Their grave has been left alone and forgotten since their burial. The centre portion of the cemetery was surrounded by bush hedge. That was the memorial for soldiers and nobles who had contribute much to the kingdom. Next to the nobles cemetery laid the royal graveyard. This is where generation of royalties were laid to rest. For Ivan, they were nothing but just graves, for all those people who had died. Royals, nobles, soldiers, peasants or not, everyone dies in the end.

Yeah, died… Death… They are all the same. All humans will have to face their own death no matter what, it is such a horrible and cruel fate. Why do people died? Why do people have to suffer all these pain? And what is the purpose of living?

"Alive or death… They are the same." Ivan muttered to himself. "But dead people don't suffer. People who were alive have to suffer many painful and horrible things."

Ivan made his way to the royal graveyard. There laid many of his ancestors who had ruled the North Kingdom in a great era, a turbulent one, chaotic one, filled with scars of the war… Each royal spoke of different stories and different time, but when they passed, the kingdom lived on with another ruler and it changed with time. He walked past all these tombs and came to one of the newest graves among the rest.

_Here lies High Princess Katyusha Sofea Braginski_

_17XX – 17XX_

_Loving Mother, Great High Princess of the North_

_May the angels sang her off_

Kneeling down in front of the grave, Ivan used his gloved hands to wipe off the frost and snow covering his mother's tombstone. He never truly like his mother. Yet, he still care for her, as she is the only parent he knew, he never knew his father.

"Mother, _Ya vernulsya_…" He muttered in his native tongue. While there's so many things he could say, but all he could do is just stare at her grave in silent. The silent lingered on and the cold wind blew on, making the silence seemed eternal.

Ivan did not know how long he stayed there. But when he decided he should leave, he was snapped out of his trance by the sound of someone's footstep. Whipping his head around in alert, could it be the soldiers who were doing patrolling noticed him and came to catch him? He turned around towards the entrance, only to see the silhouette of a person leaving the graveyard. Ivan shrugged it off, it is only some random people coming to pay their beloved a visit in the death of the night. He then got up and dusted himself before preparing to leave. It was then he noticed it, one of the graves lying near the entrance.

Although it was simple with no special ornaments on it, it was well taken care and looked new compared to others forgotten graves. But what caught Ivan's eyes was there was a bunch of fresh flowers laid before the tomb. Someone must've come by and laid these before leaving again. Curiosity took over him as he went up to inspect the said grave.

It was a servant's grave, no surprise to him. The words engraved on the tomb had blurred through time but he can still make out some of the characters. His eyes scanned through the words and discovered the servant's last name is Wang, same as Yao. And the time when the person died was the same day his mother died as well, the day when the North Kingdom was attacked by Arthur's mad father.

If Ivan recalled correctly, there's only one servant with the surname Wang before the old North Kingdom collapse, and that would be Yao's mother, as she is the one who took care of him and Yao when his mother was busy. If this is her grave, and these flowers were laid not too long ago, and the footsteps he heard just now… Could it be? Without further thought, Ivan quickly rushed out of the graveyard.

* * *

"Ivan, your heart must've hurt a lot right now, don't you?" What Ivan did not know, Gilbert was awake all the time and had followed him to the castle graveyard. He was awakened by the sound of Ivan screaming, must be having a bad dream, he guessed. He wished that he would be the one to comfort Ivan off the pain and be by his side. Yet, Ivan choose to remain distant from him and the rest. The first time they met they got along well instantly and now, it has come to this. Why has everything turned into this?

As Ivan got up from his bed and walked next to his bedside, Gilbert pretended to sleep as soundly as possible. He can feel Ivan's hand lingered on the piece of scarf he had with him, probably because it brought back memories for him. And Gilbert regretted taking it out, Ivan must've gotten sad seeing this.

When Ivan finally pulled back, Gilbert allowed himself to slightly open his eyes to observe the prince's next movement. He noticed Ivan began packing up some of his things and getting dressed up before leaving the room in a haste.

Once Ivan was out of the room and out of sight, Gilbert got up from bed and headed off to the window where he saw Ivan on his horse galloping towards the direction of the North Kingdom castle. _What's was he up to this late?_ He asked himself, but of course got no answer. He then packed his stuff as well before following the trail the other prince's horse left on the snow.

"Ivan, when are you going to open up?" Gilbert mumbled to himself. "I had waited for so long and you insist to keep all the burden to yourself…" He heaved a long sigh before gazing up at the full moon. He couldn't help but wonder how much time was left for him… It felt as if something was happening, sooner than later… He can't tell.

Speaking of some weird feeling, just now he saw the figure of a man entering the graveyard, just after Ivan had entered. He didn't managed to get a good look at the person but just shrugged it off as some weird people coming to pay their family respect in the middle of the night. In order to avoid getting any attention, the albino prince went to hide himself under the shadow of a large tree just outside the graveyard. The secret path that leads to the graveyard of the North Kingdom castle was shielded and covered by dense tundra forest, that's why nobody would use it. But for some people other than Ivan to enter the graveyard through this secret path, he must be no ordinary people.

After quite a while, he saw the mysterious man leaving the graveyard and headed to where he came from. Not too long after the man left, a panicked Ivan rushed out from the entrance of the graveyard.

"Walking around without a sword, that was really dangerous in the middle of the night, and unawesome too. Do you know that?" Gilbert quirked his brow and came out from his hiding spot.

"Gilbert," Ivan hissed, "Why are you here?"

"Chasing after you, of course. What if something unawesome happens to you and you didn't bring your sword? Gilbert rambled on while handing Ivan's sword to him.

Ivan said nothing as he accepted his sword from Gilbert. "I should get going now." He said turning away.

"What's with that attitude?" Gilbert huffed and followed behind him. "Just where are you thinking you're going? It's too late to walk around at a time like this."

"It's none of your business. There's something I have to hunt down."

"… You mean Alfred?" Gilbert questioned back. "At this time? Don't tell me you're gonna barge into some people's house to search for Alfred, that's unawesomely ridiculous."

"Whatever I'm going to do is none of your business." Ivan practically yelled back. "You can go back to your sleep, but I will continue to search for Alfred until I found him."

"Wherever you're going, I'm following you." Gilbert mumbled and followed behind Ivan. Ivan turned around and was about to spat at him when they heard the sound of someone screaming.

"Eeek! MONSTER!" A voice called out somewhere in the woods. Ivan whipped his head around, this voice sounded so familiar to him. It can't be…

"Master Alfred, calm down. It's just your clothes got hooked up by the branch." Another voice said, calmer than the first one.

"This voice… Could it be…" Gilbert said, but Ivan quickly mounted onto his horse and began to dash towards where the voice came from. "Hey, wait up!" Gilbert called out and tried to follow up.

_No doubt, it's them…_ Ivan told himself. And he's not going to let them run away this time. He will catch up with Alfred and hit sense into his mind so that he will leave Kiku and to never get married. He was determined to do so, he don't want to let Alfred suffer the same thing he had been through.

But the people he was searching for had probably heard all those ruckus and racket that they ran away before he arrived. Violet eyes scanned the surrounding area and noticed some hooves print on the layer of snow covered the forest ground. He got down from his horse and searched around, finding a piece of fabric lying on the snowy ground. He picked it up from the ground, feeling the soft, silky fabric rubbing against his skin. Of course, it is impossible for commoners to wear something so finely made, and from what he heard just now. It matched everything he was searching for. Getting onto his horse, he gave it the kick, causing his horse to whine and neigh before galloping at full speed.

* * *

Ivan did not remember how long he had been following their tracks but all his search ended in futile when he realized that the hooves print he was following disappeared halfway. Cursing under his breath, he took a look at his surrounding but all he could see was eternal whiteness as the snow continued to descend from the night sky.

"There you are!" Someone called out, "how can you just dumped me and go on your own?" From afar, Ivan could make out the silhouette of a person. When that person approached, it was revealed to be Gilbert on his horse.

"And just what are you doing following me?" Ivan hissed, his horse trotted in circle around the area.

"I have to protect you at all cost." Gilbert huffed. "Besides, if you're doing anything reckless, it could've troubled us."

"Whatever." Ivan mumbled, then something hit him. "Where are we by the way?"

Gilbert stifled a grunt as he walked next to Ivan. "We have gotten out from North Kingdom border." He explained, "From where we were exiting, it will head towards the Southeast Kingdom."

"And that's the only place we haven't search." Ivan concluded. "Alfred and Kiku could have sheltered there."

"But that's impossible, you mentioned seeing someone like Kiku and hearing Alfred's voice just now. They couldn't been there." Gilbert said. "Besides, the road from North Kingdom to Southeast Kingdom is very treacherous." From what Gilbert knew, the route connecting the North Kingdom and the Southeast Kingdom is covered with mountains and vast plains with no border. Nobody has ever used this road, especially on harsh weather like this blizzard tonight.

"Who knows? But knowing Alfred, he's not gonna give up that easily and is willing to do anything to succeed." Ivan said. "And it seems like they covered up their tracks to stop us from following them."

"Fuck, Ivan... Just let them go. There's nothing you can do. And even if you do catch up to them, what would you do? Would you really deny Alfred happiness? That's not the Ivan I know..." Gilbert spat those words out from his mouth before he could even reconsider it.

"Who says I'm the Ivan you know then?!" Gilbert forced his horse to back up, shocked at the gaze of utter anguish and rage. "I stopped being the Ivan that you know years ago, Gilbert! I don't believe in happiness anymore because everything that I do only ends in pain!" He growled and looked away, angry tears stinging the corners of his eyes, "I just don't want to watch Alfred go through the same. He's all I have left." A flash of irritation went through Gilbert at this, "Who says he will?! You're not even giving him a chance, Ivan! And what's that utter bull-shit about him being all you've got?! Arthur and Francis fucking raised you when they could have left you to fend for yourself. God damn it, Ivan, I don't think there's a parent in the world that loves his children more than Arthur loves you and Alfred. And what about me? I promised that I would always be here for you, and you've just thrown that aside like it meant nothing to you! Am I nothing to you too, Ivan?!"

"I never asked you to promise that!" Ivan shrieked, pushing his horse to trot closer so that they were suddenly side-by-side. "Promises are useless when everyone is eventually going to die and leave me behind!"

"No, that's not what you said." Gilbert insisted. "You are just too fucking stubborn to admit it." He let Ivan's horse walked ahead of him. "I'd fucking sell my body and soul before I went around dying without you!"

"Do it!" Ivan yelled back, turning to face him. "I don't care you at all. What you do doesn't matter me at all." And just after finishing his sentences, he kicked his horse to move forward, leaving a stunned Gilbert in his wake.

"Ivan, just when will you realize it?" Gilbert muttered sadly. "Everyone loves you… We really do and yet, why are you doing this to us?" He gently kicked his horse, allowing it to trot slowly, making sure to keep a certain distance away from Ivan.

In the midst of silence, it was then Gilbert noticed it. Someone, something, lurking around in the vast snow field. He tried to get a better look at his surrounding but with the snow, mist and darkness that covered the land, it was hard for him to see it clearly. He wondered if he was hallucinating.

"Oi, when are you going to get moving?" Ivan snapped him out from his trance. "You will freeze to death if you don't keep moving, I won't wait you either."

"Ivan, wait!" Gilbert tried to call out to him as well as trying to catch up but the other prince ignored him and continued to walk ahead of him.

Now Gilbert was really on his nerve. _Way to go, Gilbert._ He thought to himself, how he and Ivan got into a fight and in any second, they could be in danger and Ivan was not going to give him a shit. Giving his horse another kick to urge it to trot faster in order to catch up with Ivan's horse, he glanced beyond the vast snow ground trying to pinpoint anything dangerous. From far away, he could make out the faint figure of a creature, he couldn't really tell. It seemed to be limping, from the way it is moving, slow but something seem off about it.

"Ivan, I don't like this." Gilbert said as his horse finally came side-to-side with Ivan's horse. He continued to stay alert to his surrounding, eyes scanning and glancing all over the area as if someone was cornering them.

Ivan stopped in his tracks. "Just what has gotten you? Just now you are muttering all sorts of things and now you cower next to me." Ivan glared at him. "If you're scared, then turn back. It's not too late yet. I will be fine by myself."

It was very faint, almost as if it was nothing. But a strong wave of sixth sense hit over him, Gilbert could hear it coming, the sound of someone's feet crunching up on the snow. He looked around again but saw nothing. Ivan just ignored him and continued his road.

"No Ivan, don't!" Gilbert jerked his horse so that it blocked Ivan's path. "Something, someone's coming towards where we are. We have got to run. We…" Before he could finish his sentences, he felt a surge of pain ran up his spine and something wet running down his body. Crimson eyes widened while violet eyes could only stare in shock. The platinum blonde-haired prince slowly looked down to see blood flowing out from the other abdomen, the place where a knife has stabbed through. He tried to gather himself, but his body failed him and he ended up falling off his horse onto the snow.

And all the while, Ivan could only helplessly watch as Gilbert's lifeless body fell onto the snowy ground, his blood staining the snow. He never thought he would say it, but he did. "Gilbert!"

xXx

Yeah, and the scene from Gilbert's dream (Chapter 7) has finally takes place. When you thought about it… Oh no, CLIFFHANGER! Gilbert, noooooo! What was coming next?

First of all, I would like to thank all the readers and supporters who read, review and support this story despite the long wait. It was thank to all of you that I was still able to continue in writing this fic. Second, I have to apologize for the late update and long wait. Life has been a trouble lately and can only get worse. It took me months to come up with this chapter. But I won't let you all down, I won't leave it abandoned like the previous fic and I'm sure that someday I will definitely finish this and continue with other beautiful fanfiction awaiting to be published. So hope you all enjoy this chapter and stay tune for the next update. Pray that I have mercy on Gilbert and Ivan, muahahaha…

**Guest** (reviewed on Feb 28): Sorry for the late update and reply. Yes, Gilbert deserved some sympathy, but I'm just too cruel to let him die. Hahaha, you will find out sooner or later.


	22. Bonus Chapter (AusHun)

**One Last Fairytale (Bonus Story): A Girl Worth Fighting For **

When she was just a child, Elizaveta proved herself to be different from other girls. She had more determination and strength and behaviour that normal girls don't. While tradition states that girls are supposed to be protected and took care of household chores with no other rights but obey their husband or family's will. Elizaveta was never the one to obey those said rules, because she believed she was a boy in the beginning. As a child, she is very athletic and would play fist-fight or involve in a duel with other noble boys. Her tomboyish and wild attitude was frowned upon by the noble society and many family refused to accept her as their daughter-in-law in fear that she will cause family violence.

Elizaveta's family is not a peaceful one either. Her mother was a cousin of a Main Hetalia royalty, twice removed. Though not clear, her maternal grandfather married a girl of the nobility and had her. It was also around that same time when the United Kingdom of Main Hetalia faced threat of war from the Magyar empire. In order to prevent the war from causing severe damage, her mother was wed off to her father, Duke Hedervary of Magyar.

The war did stop after her parent marriage, but her mother was not happy. Elizaveta would question herself why her mother was the chosen one instead of some other noble ladies. She did try to get an answer from her mother, who told her that she was chosen because she was the only unmarried lady who had relation with the royalties. As the king did not have a daughter, she was sacrificed instead. "As a lady, you must always put other people in front of you no matter what. Obey your family; when married, obey your husband, even if it means losing your future and happiness." That was what her mother would say to her since she was a little girl.

Elizaveta never liked her family. Well, the least she cared for her mother. She just… Doesn't like the way her father treated her mother. Of course, the purpose of their marriage is to stop the war between Magyar and Main Hetalia, nothing else. There is no mutual feeling or bond between the two of them. Her father only sees her mother as anything but a wife and things only gone worse when she bore him a girl, whom he deemed unfit to inherit his property. He wanted a male heir who was strong and powerful so that his family line can continued.

As a child, Elizaveta could never understand why her father hated her or her mother. But in the child's perception, she thought her father doesn't like the way she was. Unlike other girls, Elizaveta showed exceptionally great determination in hope to make her father proud of her because she always thought that she was a boy to begin with. Hence, she began training herself at young age. She learned to fight with a sword and sparing with the some of the servant boys, which many people of the nobility would frown upon her behaviour and attitude which was deemed inappropriate for young noble girls. Her mother did advised her and told her not to do it again but she is persistent and insist to continue with what she hold strong for.

* * *

But all her hopes were crushed on one day when her relatives came to visit her. They were the Wallachia family who was also a nobility of a lower branch. Though being lower status than the Hedervary family, they liked to show off their wealth and seemingly high status by wearing lavish clothes and spent their fortune on relatively expensive things.

Elizaveta went to greet them with her parents. She hated them at the first sight. She hated how their style of clothing and dressing outdid her plain, simple green dress. She disliked the way they talked and how they would boast every single possession they owned. But for least, Countess Wallachia seemed happy living this life, she has her husband attention and everything, which was something her mother don't.

The Wallachia family had a son who was a couple years older than her. His name was Vladimir and she hated him no less than she hated his parents. While in front of the adult, he was well-manner and was a good child but all that change when he was left alone with Elizaveta. He liked to bully Elizaveta by making fun of her gender and sexuality. At first, Elizaveta tried not to put that in mind, but over the time, Vladimir behaviour worsened and he would often physically injured her. Elizaveta hence decided to use this as a chance to strengthen herself.

Worse come to worse, at the age of eight, her father announced her engagement to Vladimir. She was infuriated and questioned her father, to which he replied that it was for the benefit of both family's survival. Enraged, she rebelled against her father by breaking the Hedervary vase, a vase which has passed down among the Hedervary line a long time ago. Her father was not happy with this and he punished her by locking her in her room for days. If it wasn't because of her mother who secretly brought food for her, she wouldn't have survived till then.

"Hey Erzsebet, I heard that you're bound to be my wife." Vladimir said mockingly to her several weeks after their engagement. "Isn't that great? We will live together and I will rise to a higher rank and have more fortune."

"I did rather not…" Elizaveta said, not wanting to have eye contact with him. "And tell me, why should I married you?"

"It's because you're a girl and your father hates you." Vladimir said without giving a thought. "He never loves you and wants to get rid of you, all just because that you're a girl."

Elizaveta felt tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to show them. "But that's…" She stuttered, "That's nuisance, it can't be true!"

"Oh c'mon, don't you get it already?" Vladimir smirked, walking up to stand in front of her. "He never has his eyes for you no matter how hard you try to succeed and he never cares for you. It's a pity that you are engage of at such young age, you could have lived a better life than this. But your father just don't want you to have that life, all he wanted was a legitimate son to inherit his lineage."

"Stop it!" Elizaveta yelled. "There's no way father would do this to me. He's never like this!" She denied, but her voice seemed to falter.

"And what will you do? Beg in front of him?" Vladimir mocked, "He would've understand how bad our relationship is, but since it is already done, just accept it."

"Bastard, you don't want this at all, so why don't you reject it?"

A devilish grin spread across Vladimir's face as he eyed her at eye-level, causing Elizaveta to shudder a bit. "I would have done so, but on a second thought, I think it's not a bad idea. A wife is meant to obey their husband and do everything what their husband said. You may be a good thing for me in the future."

"Like what?" Elizaveta had a bad feeling for this.

"Don't you get it? You're such a silly girl." After finishing his sentence, Vladimir ordered a young servant boy to come towards them. The poor servant boy did as he was told, not knowing what holds beyond him. Vladimir began first by giving a slap on the boy's face that he fell onto the ground, he then began throwing fists, punches and kicks on the boy. No matter how the servant begged him to stop, Vladimir just won't do it and continued to find pleasure in torturing him.

Elizaveta could only stare in shock as she watched Vladimir attacked the poor servant boy. Sure, she did hit some servant on some occasion when she used them as her training partner, but it never became this violent. He had never gone this far towards her and does this meant that she will be treated in that way after married to Vladimir? Anger surged through her body as Elizaveta found herself the strength to haul Vladimir away from the boy. Vladimir was taken by surprise by her sudden movement, but before he had time to react, Elizaveta slapped him hard on the face, leaving a burning red bruise on his cheeks.

"How dare you do this to me?!" Vladimir said after recovering from the shock. The bruise on his face glowed a nasty red and he desperately tried to cover and stop the bleeding.

"What was going on here?" It was a very bad timing as Countess Wallachia came strutting into the garden and witnessed the fight. That bruise on Vladimir's face is not going to be good. She grimaced at the sight of her son before giving a disgusted look at Elizaveta while Elizaveta could only looked down in ashamed. She didn't say or spat anything at her, though, she just took Vladimir away, but Elizaveta knew that she had been screwed.

"Elizaveta, what had you done?!" As expected, she got a lecture session from her father. "If it wasn't for us, the Wallachia would've break up the engagement." He grumbled while she was forced to kneel before him.

"It would've been better if the engagement had been called off!" Elizaveta retorted back in rebel. "I swear that I will never married to him, never EVER!" This only worsen the situation as she suddenly felt a smack on her face and she fell onto the ground, her cheek stung. What she felt right now must be ten times painful than Vladimir.

"Can't you behave properly like how a lady should be?!" He yelled at her. "If you dare to go against my wishes, then I'd bloody fucking end your life!" He heaved a frustrated sigh as he went to stand by the window, his back facing her. "It's trouble enough having you as my daughter, but it troubles me more when you just don't even know how to behave properly. Have you ever thought how the people will think about us when they see you behaving like this?"

"And all you think is about the family! Why can't you try to understand my feelings?!" Elizaveta shouted back, only to receive another smack from her father.

"Don't you talk to me like this!" He demanded. "People has high expectation of us and you are not allowed to defy your family orders. Obey your family will and wish, no matter what."

All while her father continued on his rambling, Elizaveta watched him with eyes clouded in tears, accompanied by hatred and sadness. It was as if something hit her hard on her head. Her father did not love her, nor cared for her at all. No matter how hard she tried to win his heart, he never has his eyes on her, because she is a girl, a girl whose destiny is to be wed off and having no other right in the family. "I will never obey and do whatever you wished!" Angrily, she yelled at her father one last time before running out of his room into her room.

She spent few days shutting herself in her room while weeping in agony. Her parents didn't came to see her, the servants didn't brought food for her, her father must have forbade them from doing so. She was hungry, thirsty and tired, but she refused to go out as she was still angry of her father. It was until the night of the third day, her mother came to her, sitting by her side hugging her. "You shouldn't talk to your father like that." She said gently while cuddling her.

"He don't understand…" She murmured among sobs. "Why should I married such a person? Can't I do whatever I wish?"

"It's just how things were." Her mother said. "This is the role of women in the society." She told her, her fingers gently wiped away the tears and hair on her face. "A woman is supposed to obey their husband and family no matter what. Their means of life is to behave properly so they could have good marriage prospect."

"Does that guaranteed they will be happy?" Elizaveta questioned sceptically.

"It's the honour they bring to the family, that is the concept of happiness for a woman. We married to strengthen the bond between families and countries, and sometimes restore peace and stop war, just like me." Elizaveta could remember how gentle her mother's smile were, yet there was something she could not comprehend. "You may not be happy now. But when the two of you grow up a bit, you all will reach mutual understanding and I believe by the time comes, you will love each other just fine." She ran her hair lovingly across Elizaveta's hair before gesturing the tray of food she brought in with her. "Eating something for the least, for my sake." She gave her a pat before preparing to leave.

"Mother…" Elizaveta called out, causing the said woman to stop in her tracks. "Are you happy…? I mean… are you happy marrying father and living in this family?"

That while, there was a moment of silence before her mother turned to face her. "What are you talking about, my dear? Of course I am." She said with a smile, though she could tell that smile seemed strained. "My marriage with your father manage to stop the war between our countries and your father is a great man too." She said before leaving.

* * *

Ever since that incident, Elizaveta dared not rebelled against her father anymore as she realized that he did not has his eyes for her at all. She still continued with her training though, since she has gotten used to it.

As she continued to distance herself from her father, the relationship between her parents continued to crumble. She knew her mother smile was a fragile one in the beginning as there was a hint of sadness behind it. Her mother and father was arranged to marry each other to stop the war between two countries. The war did stop, but neither were happy. Her mother said that the honour she brought to the family is her happiness, and yet she was nowhere being happy. Her father never loved her, her birth only worsen it as he viewed her mother as being worthless.

Elizaveta was worried for her mother, she was the only family member whom she cared about. Whenever her father was in a bad mood or gotten drunk, he would hit her mother. Her mother would just quietly let him hit her without any complaint, thinking that this would help in venting his anger.

"Mother, are you alright with this?" She asked one night while helping to clean the bruise her father left on her face.

"It's ok." Her mother would tell her with a forced smile. "I just done something wrong that made him angry." It's a lie, Elizaveta knew it but doesn't want to speak it out since her mother don't want to talk about it. So she just let it be.

And years passed with everyday being the same manner. Her father continued to hit her mother while she was being laughed at by Vladimir. She watched her mother aged quicker than usual. The beautiful face that many young ladies admired began to scar and wrinkle under years to torment. She was once a woman full of spirit, and now she became quite a dull woman as if her spirit was gone, leaving just an empty shell of her mother. She noticed her mother would space out for a moment, and it only got worse as time went on. Elizaveta could only watch in despair as her mother continued to rot under the pressure of a loveless marriage, the so said honour she brought to the family.

* * *

The marriage treaty between her parents aims to strengthen the bond between Main Hetalia and the Magyar Kingdom and kept peace between them but with the crumbling relationship of her parents, the peace did not last long. When she was twelve years old, the war between the Magyar Kingdom and Main Hetalia broke out again. She was supposed to marry Vladimir around that time but that was postponed as Vladimir was assigned to join the war as well.

That was a time of turbulence. Her father went to lead the army, leaving her under the care of her mother. During that time, the Hedervary estate located not too far away from the battle camp. Some soldiers who on their way to war or camp would stay at their place for food and shelter. The soldiers would often came to them to seek for medical help for their wounded companion. Elizaveta would then spent most of her time helping her mother treating the wounded soldiers and bonding with them. At first she was reluctant, but over the time she found some enjoyment in her work and really took pleasure to it as she found herself having a nice time accompanying the soldiers who shared with her their stories in the battle field.

Her mother, however, was complete the opposite. Her condition deteriorated as the war went on. Probably the pressure of running the household by herself, watching so many soldiers died in the gruesome way also didn't help her emotion either. Elizaveta noticed it too, but there's little she could do to comfort her. She began to retreat further and further into her own shell beyond anyone's reach.

And so, it happened on a very normal day. It was a beautiful, quiet morning, unlike those previous days. Sounds of battles or raging fire were nowhere to be seen. So her mother decided to go out for a walk around the estate. Some maidservants wanted to accompany her in case things happened but she insisted that it will be just a minute and she will be alright. That was the last time Elizaveta saw her, by the time when the household went to search for her, she was gone.

Elizaveta was devastated at the news of her mother's death, her mother is the only family member who could understand her and now she was gone, all alone in this cruel, cold, fortified walls. After her mother's death, Elizaveta insisted that she cremated her body instead of bury it in the graveyard. She insisted that her mother never wanted to be here in the first place and she never wanted to be trapped in the Magyar Empire where all her unhappy memories were at.

Under Elizaveta's request, her mother's remains were cremated and she have it scattered at the sea, letting the wind and waves took away her ashes. For once, she was finally free, from the world where she obeyed without condition and sacrificed for everything.

The war continued on, obviously the mere death of a Duchess won't change a thing at all. Elizaveta continued to run the household in place of her mother but she can't find herself to do so. Living in the wall of the estate is driving her insane and there were too much unhappy things in here. It was one night when she finally can't take the pressure anymore that she snapped. She learned that if things continued, she will end up the fate of her mother. She don't want to suffer that.

"That's it, I'm getting outta here!" She told herself that night. It was a night when the war was called to a halt, everyone in the estate was deep asleep. She ran to the weapon storage room to retrieve a sword, using it to cut away her long brown hair until it was above her shoulder. She then collected some armoury and weapons before heading out to the stables to saddle a horse. Not even looking back, she mounted on her horse and galloped into the darkness full of uncertainty, away from the place where she grew up full of misery.

Elizaveta fled from the Hedervary Estate to the Magyar Castle where she volunteered to be a soldier under the name of Daniel. The armies gladly accepted her without a second thought since they were in need of soldiers to fend for their countries. She did wonder why she choose to do this. On another thought, she just wanted to escape an unhappy life, but later she figured out that perhaps she can make her father proud of her.

* * *

One day, she was summoned by one of the castle's general with the tasks that she will be joining their troops in raiding part of Main Hetalia. She decided to follow along.

The raid was successful at the beginning. They managed to enter the borders of Main Hetalia with ease and began their invasion by taking down the West Kingdom's castle. The soldiers cut down their enemies and entered the castle walls. But things began to go wrong inside, traps were laid everywhere and many soldiers fell into the traps.

Elizaveta managed to hold on and moved forward, until when they triggered another trap which released toxic gas on them. The soldiers in the castle took this as their chance to attack the soldiers who had their guards lowered. Seeing that the enemies had gained the upper hand, the general commanded that they retreat, but Elizaveta didn't catch his words and the smog blurred her way. She ended up being separated from the rest of the soldiers. By the time when the smog cleared off, she found herself surrounded by Main Hetalia soldiers. She tried to fight them, but inhaling too much gases made her weak that she can't do much. Elizaveta thought that she was going to be killed, until when she found a secret switch on the wall, revealing it to be a narrow escape lane. She quickly jumped into the escape lane, only to find herself landing somewhere else in the castle ground.

"There's one of them, after him!" Some guards passed by noticed her and began to give chase. Elizaveta gave a gasp of surprise before she began to run but the toxic was running in her system and she felt her body failing.

She ran down the hallway of several doors. Knowing that she cannot last any longer, she decided to just give in to her luck on one of the doors she picked.

"He won't run far away. Hurry up and catch him!" The footsteps of her pursuers are approaching. She quickly used the last ounce of her strength to slam into one of the doors.

Her sudden entrance in the room didn't go unnoticed, however, as there was people in the room. A person, to be specific. Said person let out a gasp of shock and surprise at the sight of her entering his room.

"Over there! Get him!" The guards called out. Elizaveta thought this was the end of her. She tried to stand up and run but she was unable to control her body, her eyes were blurry and her consciousness was slipping away. It was then she felt a pair of warm arms got hold of her.

"Hurry up, this way!" The person said and dragged her to somewhere she didn't know. "Just be quiet, everything will be ok." She heard the person said.

Seconds after that, the guards were already at the doorstep. "Midlord, are you alright?" One of them asked. "We saw a suspicious looking person entering your room, did you see him?"

She heard that person said, "Yes, he entered here moments ago."

"Where is he?" The guard demanded.

"H-He… He jumped out from the window." The guards heard his answer left the room immediately to chase for that so-called suspicious looking person.

"Young master, please be careful." One of the guards said. "The castle has been raided. Please be alert at all time." That was all she heard before she lose her consciousness.

When she awoke again, she found herself laying on bed and her armours were removed. There was also gentle music in the room. Groaning a bit, she sat up from bed and looked around the room. It was nicely made and well-kept too. She turned around to see where the source of the music came from, a piano and there's someone sitting on it playing it.

Slowly and quietly, she tiptoed behind the person and glanced at the sheet music, Für Elise. While she didn't understand a thing at all about the piano and the sheet music, one thing that attracted her is the melody itself. She stood still and quiet as she felt the lively music ran through her veins and gave her some sort of comfort in it. Without realizing it, she felt herself being taken into the music itself as she began dancing around.

But then, the music stopped. Elizaveta snapped herself out of her trance, realizing that her movement must've disturbed the person. She turned around sheepishly to find herself facing a pair of dark violet orbs behind a pair of glasses. She blushed a little at the sight of the person, his jet black hair and well-toned skin. She'd heard someone addressed him as 'midlord' or 'young master', so he must be someone of higher rank.

"I see that you're awake." He said politely, but there was a hint of distrust in his voice as he probably knew that she was from the enemy's side.

"I really appreciate your help and I couldn't thank more." She said solemnly. The pair would have continued their staring contest if it wasn't for someone to enter the room.

A boy about the same age as them barged into the room and began his yelling fit, "Roderich, you have been holed up in your room for days. Just when are you coming… out?" His sentence was cut short when he noticed Elizaveta in the room as well. He quickly pulled out a sword and pointed towards her while threatening, "Who are you?" Elizaveta gulped and backed a bit, she can't just attack out of the blue, that will trigger the guards' attention and she's done.

"Wait stop, Vash." The other boy stood up from his seat and went to shield her. "You don't have to hurt him."

"Is that so?" The boy known as Vash questioned sceptically. "I've heard that some soldiers from the Magyar Kingdom attacked the castle two days ago. One in particular managed to enter your room, could it be this guy they were talking about?"

"You may be right, but he's injured." The boy said. "Moreover, I hid away his armours and weapons, so he's not much of a danger at the moment."

"Did you talk to him? Did you questioned anything about his motive?" Vash asked.

"No."

"Then why did you trust him? He could've been a traitor."

"If he was, he would've done it now." He fought back, "Besides, we might have to hear his side of story to decide whether we can trust him or not."

"Whatever," Vash let out a sigh and closed the chamber's door to avoid any attention. "If I find out he was on the enemy side, I will send him to the dungeon, no remorse."

Elizaveta was just stunned at their conversation. Yet, she could felt hope clinging on that boy who choose to defend her. Perhaps she could keep herself hidden for the time being.

"My name's Roderich." The boy who played the piano and defended her said, he faced her with a gentle smile. "May I know your name?"

"E…Eli… Daniel. My name's Daniel." She replied, remembering to keep her secret intact. "And since you already know, I'm a soldier from Magyar." She paused for a while, wondering what kind of story should she made up so they could trust her. "I… I was forced to join this war by my family. Of course I don't want to, but they insisted and put me into the military anyway." She eyed the two of them, seeing them remained silent assured her to continue. "I was assigned to attack your castle, but… but we were attacked… and that's how I'd end up in here."

"See, Vash? I told you that he meant no harm." The boy called Roderich said. Vash just huffed.

"Who knows? It could've just be a made up story." He took a step closer to take a better look of Elizaveta before asking, "So what are you going to do with him? Are you going to keep him?"

"I will take him in. But his presence in the castle will probably go unnoticed since some of the guards would've recognized his face." Roderich paced around considering about it before coming up a plan. "Why don't made him a servant? But since being a man will made his identity revealing, so why not made him dress as a maid instead?"

"A-Are you really… Are you really gonna do that?" Vash asked in disbelief.

"It's just to keep him safe."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just don't get yourself into trouble." He said before leaving the room.

* * *

And so, in order to keep her identity a secret, Elizaveta has no choice but to obey what Roderich had dictated her to do. She found herself dressing up in a maid attire (not that she cared) and having to work for Roderich. Roderich was not a bad person to be said, although he could be strict sometime. During those time living under Roderich's roof, she spend most of the time together with Roderich since he was the only person he can trust in the castle, Vash is secondary. Roderich would made her his training partner, but only to get defeated in surprise when Elizaveta easily took him down. Occasionally, she would sit behind him as he played the piano or violin while she quietly took in the beautiful music he played. She enjoyed accompanying him to the garden full of beautiful flowers. And then, he would teach her things about their kingdom. As time goes on, she found herself drawing towards him, though she was still wary about her identity, but she admitted to herself that in fact she had fallen in love for the boy.

But then, things don't last long. Just a few weeks of her stay in Main Hetalia, the castle was attacked again by soldiers from Magyar Kingdom. This time, being more aggressive and offensive. Roderich's father was killed in the fray and the castle was burned to debris. She along with Roderich, Vash and Liech managed to escape but they were caught as captives and were taken to the palace in the Magyar Kingdom.

The young children were kept in different cells during imprisonment. Elizaveta managed to escape from her prison by knocking down the guards before disguising as one of them. She then tried to find her way to the dungeon underground in hope to save Roderich and the rest but she was not familiar with the place that she ended up running into Vladimir.

"E-Eli? What are you doing here?" Vladimir gasped in surprise when they met in one of the castle's hallway. Elizaveta cursed herself a bit, it seemed like her look is not enough to fool Vladimir. She shushed him and dragged him to a corner to avoid any attention.

"I wasn't expecting this. But what are you doing here, twerp?" She asked.

"That should be my question instead, bitch." Vladimir retorted back. "You are not supposed to be here. You should stay at home instead."

"And what's with stayin' home? It's because that's a woman's job?" She rolled her eyes at the thought. "Never! I will never be that hell of a borin' woman my father said. I'd rather be in the battlefield kickin' butt."

Vladimir let out a sigh, "You're still the same Eli." His eyes darted around the room to make sure that no one was around eavesdropping their conversation.

"It's Daniel. I'm a boy for now." She declared proudly, as if she has become a hero or something. "Speaking which, you somehow has turned into a coward." She snickered at her little remark.

"Suits you, your breast is too small for my taste." Vladimir said, faking a face of disgust. She would've punched him if she could, but Vladimir brought up the topic. "So what brought you here?"

She bit her lips a little. Weighing on her choices, she decided that she would have to trust Vladimir so that he could help her navigating through the castle. She also wants to know the upcoming news about the war. In the end, she told him about what happened to her during the past few weeks until her capture and her plan to save the prisoners from Main Hetalia. Of course, Vladimir won't take it.

"Why are you planning on helping the prisoners of the opposite side? They are our enemies and nothing good will come of you helping the enemies. They will see you as a traitor." Elizaveta had expected such reply, she clutched on the clothing she was wearing on before trying to reason with him. "If that was the case, then they wouldn't have helped me in the first place and I won't even come back alive." It was then she realized that she truly has feelings for Roderich. "Besides, they helped me when I was in trouble. And is that how I repay their kindness? They are children, like us, growing up too young. Are you willing to see them died?"

Vladimir pondered about her words and realized that it made senses too, so he decided to help her rescue her saviours and have them escorted back to the Hedervary Estate. On their way to the dungeon, they walked pass the throne room where a conference was held. Elizaveta stopped dead in her tracks suddenly when she overheard her father's voice.

"The raid at Southern West Kingdom is a success. We managed to kill the High Prince's brother." One of the general said, marking the map they had just invaded.

"It bothers me though, General Anjou." She heard her father said, "What is the motive of attacking the castle? Our troops had not fully set foot on Main Hetalia and yet you are attacking the castle already. Isn't it a bit too soon?"

"I'm getting a bit impatient." The man known as General Anjou said. "It's been months since the war began and little progress has been made."

"Obviously, Main Hetalia is a rather large kingdom. It's rather impossible for us to take them down single-handedly." Another general commented. "We may succeed this time, but it will be rather short lived."

"That's why we have to plan our next step here and now." Anjou said, his fists slamming on the tables. "The royals will probably be angry at the news of our attacks, so this time we will have to play defensive in the case they send armies into our kingdom."

Elizaveta wanted to continue on listening their conversation but Vladimir tugged her, urging her to leave the place or else they will be caught or something bad happen. She followed him meekly, seeing that Vladimir was not in a good mood as well.

"That was General Anjou, he was the head commander in this war." Vladimir told him, "but not everyone in the castle liked him. They said he was rather ambitious and intend to do anything just to get what he wanted."

"That sounds nasty enough." Elizaveta grimaced at the thought of their war being controlled by an iron fist. She don't dare to think much about it either, that person who was in command of her father… He was just too scary.

The duo managed to sneak into the dungeon without much problem. They knocked out the guards who was standing guard the prison and stole the keys. They then proceeded to release the prisoners in the dungeon and that included her saviours. Once everyone was out, they decided to use the secret passageway to escape from the castle. Everything went on smoothly in the first place, all the prisoners escaped quietly through the underground tunnel until the children were left. Liech was rather scared of her surrounding. The poor young girl must have suffered too much about adulthood that will probably scarred her entire life. Vash tried to comfort her as much as possible but little could be done. When it was Liech turn to jump down the secret passage, she was too scare to move, so Vash decided to go along with her. That was until when they jumped, Liech's screams caught the guards' attention.

"They're escaping! After them!" And soon, soldiers started running in and out of the castle. Elizaveta and Vladimir knew there was not much time left, so they along with Roderich quickly jumped into the secret passage and ran all their way until they reached the end, just outside the castle. But the terror was not over yet, guards were stationed every corner in and out of the castle. They noticed the escaped prisoners and began pursuing them. Elizaveta led in front while Vladimir guarded at the back.

However, the children were too tired to run much and the guards were closing in. Arrows were shot towards their direction in hope to slow them down. Vash wrapped his arm protectively around Liech while trying to avoid the arrows and ran as fast as he could. Elizaveta whirled her head around trying to gauge their strength, but they were outnumber and fighting back isn't a good idea at all. It was then she noticed one of the soldiers shot an arrow towards Roderich.

"Roderich!" She called out, quickly lunging towards him to shield him from the attack. The arrow hit her back instead.

"Daniel!" Roderich and Vladimir called out in unison. She tried to stand up, but the pain wasn't cooperating, so they ended up having to let her leaned on them as they continued to run. Her weigh was slowing them and they could have been caught at any moment.

It was until someone pulled the children into a bush that temporary kept them away from the soldier's sight. They stopped for a while to catch their breath while trying to treat Elizaveta's wound. Vladimir looked at the person who caught them and smiled a little. "Oh, it's you, Aleksander."

"Yep, did I came at a wrong timing?" The young soldier asked.

"No, you did it just perfect." Vladimir grinned before his face turned serious again. "But we have no time to talk. We have to escort these children to safety."

"I had that covered as well." Aleksander said, he led them out of the bush where a carriage was just outside there. "Ride on it and escape to your destination. I will keep them distracted for you to escape." With that, he went back to where the soldiers are searching, giving them the wrong information of the children whereabouts in order to mislead the soldiers and letting them escape. With the soldiers distracted, the children were able to make it to the Hedervary estate in safety.

By the time they arrived at the estate, Elizaveta was slowly drifting into unconsciousness. They had managed to remove the arrow on her back but the bleeding won't stop no matter how hard they tried. Carefully, Vladimir lifted Elizaveta on his shoulder and led them into the estate. The servants were shocked to see their young lady being carried into the household. One of the servant quickly showed Vlad her room so that she could laid down.

"I will help to treat his wounds." Roderich, who felt himself responsible for her injury requested that he do it instead. "No, you can't." Vladimir desperately tried to come up with a reasonable excuse. "Eli… D-Daniel's wound is very serious. We should call a doctor instead." He argued, but Roderich was persistent. "It's my fault that he got injured. I have to help him."

"No… Wait!" But it's too late, Roderich already had his hands on Elizaveta's chest and he gasped in horror. Realization soon hit him that this Daniel person… is a girl. Everyone in the room went still for a moment until one of Elizaveta's nurse barged in and shooed everyone out of the room before proceeding to nurse her wounds.

* * *

Elizaveta has been unconscious for two days being bedridden. Her maidservant forbid anyone but her from entering her room. During this time, Vladimir filled Roderich about what he knew about Elizaveta and tried to reason with him from suspecting Elizaveta of doing something.

On the third day, Elizaveta finally awake and the nurse approved visitors to enter her room. Roderich was the first person to come to see her. When he first entered the room, he saw a girl, not a boy or a soldier, sitting on the bed looking distantly far away. He cleared his throat, getting Elizaveta's attention and she turned around to face him.

"Da… No, you're Elizaveta." Roderich said awkwardly. The moment their eyes locked, Elizaveta felt heat rose in her cheeks before realization hit him that Roderich had knew who she was.

"So you knew after all…" She managed a weak smile. "To see me like this, you must've hated me for fooling you all this time, don't you?" She said trying to be bold in front of him.

"Vladimir told me about it." He said, trying to avoid eye contact with her. "And no, I didn't hate you." At that, Elizaveta was stunned. How could he…?

Roderich closed their distance and went to sit by her bedside. "The truth is, I'm really glad I met and trusted you." He said. "It's all thanks to you. We managed to escape out of imprisonment."

"Roderich…" Elizaveta blushed, "I just did what I think was right… After all, you had helped me and can't leave you alone to see you die…"

Silence followed again after that. This time, the two saw each other eye-to-eye for the first time, as if they finally got to understand each other. "Does your back still hurt?" Roderich was the one to break the silent, "I'm sorry that you got injured because of me."

Elizaveta smiled a little as she added on, "And I'm sorry too, for fooling you and causing you so much trouble." She thought for a while to come up with some sort of a distraction. "Hey, can you play me a music? I want to listen you play."

"Do you have any other instrument other than a piano?" Roderich asked. "I violin, maybe." With that, Elizaveta summoned a servant to bring in a violin. Roderich checked the strings to ensure that it is in perfect condition before he began playing it for her. She listened attentively to the music while observing Roderich focusing on playing the violin to the utmost perfection. It was as if Roderich was telling her about his story, beautiful yet a hint of bitterness. She listened on, until she fell asleep halfway of the music, letting the melody brought her to her sweet dreams.

* * *

Once she recovered from her injuries, Vlad brought her news he received from Aleksander who was working as a spy in the castle. From what Aleksander has heard, armies from Main Hetalia soldiers are advancing their way into the Magyar border when news of Viscount Edelstein was killed in their raid. But there's more to that as well, General Anjou planned to assassinate the king when the soldiers invaded the castle so that he could put the blame on them and had himself ascended to the throne.

"Had he lost his mind or something?" Elizaveta asked in shock, she had almost chocked on her tea at the news.

"Aleksander had confirmed it. All the plan was strictly confidential." Vlad said, calmly sipping his tea. "In fact, General Anjou was behind this war all the time. He started this war with fake news that the Main Hetalia kingdom was breaking the contract and raided a war and the attack at West Kingdom… It was all his plan…"

"To kill the king and had himself crowned king." Elizaveta continued for him. "Why would he do that?"

"He must've thought he is better at ruling and wanted the power. Since he is the distance relative of the king as well, and he was the king's right-hand man, a war advisor." Vlad let out a sigh, "And the king trusted him too much."

"This is bad, really bad." Elizaveta said, "If he really ascended up the throne, Magyar will be doomed."

"But what can we do?" Roderich who was sitting aside have been listening to their conversation for quite some time interrupted. "You are just mere soldiers, how can you ever get close to someone like him?"

"Then we need another plan." Elizaveta said and they began to come up a plan to thwart Anjou's plan.

* * *

It all began as a rumour, about a plague or some sort of new disease being discovered in one of the village. At first, no one cared about it but just shrugged it off as a rumour. A week later, news began spreading that an epidemic broke out in one of the village at the border, those seriously infected were the soldiers and it had spread to the villagers. The news continued to spread like wildfire that caused panic in the capital to believe that a plague was spreading throughout the kingdom. When news was sent to General Anjou's, he got panic and ordered that the castle to be closed off to public in hope that the disease won't spread to the occupants in the castle.

With the epidemic outbreak as their cover story, Elizaveta and her allies began with their plan. Aleksander continued to spy on General Anjou and his motive. His letter also brought some good news, some of the generals and commanders opposed to Anjou's plan that they decided not to obey his orders. They were currently gathering forces from soldiers who were against Anjou so that they can had him removed from his position. Roderich and Vash were able to secretly communicate with their families at Main Hetalia and told them of the situation and about their plan so that they could combined forces to overthrow the person who started all this unnecessary war and broke the rules.

A month after the invasion at Roderich's castle, Main Hetalia army entered the borders into the Magyar Kingdom and Elizaveta along with the soldiers who was on her side informed them about her plan and how they should carry it out. They will attack the castle tomorrow, so she urged everyone to retire early. On her way back to her room, she was surprise to meet Roderich in the hallway. "Hey." She smiled a tired smile.

"Are you sure you're doing this?" Roderich asked.

"I will had the head of Anjou for sure." She said, both her hands tightened into a fist. "He broke the peace contract, killed so many innocent people and started this unnecessary war just for his selfish needs."

"He's a general." Roderich stated, "Are you sure you can take him down by yourself?" Elizaveta shook her head sadly.

"I… I just have to…" She said softly. "I will avenge those who died, your father, especially." Though tears glittered in her eyes, she managed a weak smile before saying, "Besides, you can't even defeat me in combat. I always take you down easily, remember?"

"And you're still talking about this at this time?" Roderich laughed a little at her little joke. "It seems like you will not change your mind." He then handed a white flower to her. Elizaveta raised her eyebrow in confusion, she tried to look at his expression but he kept it hidden under the dim lighting. "I guess… I will have to spill it all at once then."

"Roderich, what's the meaning of this?"

"Elizaveta, I love you. I love you more than my love for Chopin and Beethoven. It's your courage that gave me the will and strength. I know that we may not be together, or if we ever got to meet again. I just want to tell you my feeling before everything was too late." Roderich said, his eyes met hers shyly. "Take this with you," He said shoving the flower closer to her. "It's just a flower, but if you planted it in your garden, perhaps you will remember me, always…"

"Roderich…" She accepted the flower. She tried to speak up, but was too choked up to do so. When she finally found her voice again, Roderich had turned his back at her and left down the hallway.

The next day at the battlefield, Elizaveta didn't saw Roderich anywhere. She brought along the flower he gave her, wearing it on her hair to show that she is a girl who will not bow to her fate. The troops marched into the capital and had the castle surrounded before attacking.

One by one, they sliced down Anjou's men in their path. One of the generals who sided with Elizaveta informed her about Anjou's whereabouts and led her the way.

When they arrived at the throne room where the king was, General Anjou was trying to escort him out of the castle via the secret passageway, but Aleksander had got that covered up secretly. "Get away from him, your majesty." The general said.

"What are you talking about?! The castle is attacked, it's my job to escort the king to safety." Anjou said, faking confusion.

"LIAR!" Elizaveta yelled back. "All you wanted to do is to have him killed so that you can fucking claim the throne to yourself."

General Anjou was soon at the loss of words. A malicious grin spread across his face as he unsheathed his sword. "Since you all knew it, then I will have to do it the hard way." He then grabbed the king hostage while threatening them not to come any closer or else he will kill the king. Elizaveta, however, boldly attacked at him, knocking his sword away from the king's throat and lunged the enemy onto the ground. The two then began to engage on fist fight while the general tried to take the king to safety.

But of all timing, her father barged into the throne room. "Your majesty, we have to leave…" His sentence was cut short when he saw chaos broke out in the throne room, especially the heated fight between General Anjou and one of the rebels. He went over to split up the fight by pulling Elizaveta to his side. Elizaveta trashed and yelled as she tried to struggle free.

"Let me go! I have to fucking kill him before he…" She gasped in shock when she saw the man's face, her father. He had caught him red-handed. "F-Father…" She stuttered, trying to come up with an explanation. But before she could do so, another fight broke out between Anjou and the other general. They watched as Anjou easily subdued the general and charged for the king. The king tried to run away but got cornered, Anjou then kicked him hard that he laid on the floor wincing in pain. He then raised his sword ready to deliver a fatal stab.

"NO!" was all Elizaveta could said as she saw the crazy man lowering his sword to kill. But in the nick of time, her father rushed to the king and shield him instead as Anjou's sword sank into his right shoulder. And then, everyone in the room went still. Elizaveta could only watched in shock until she noticed blood flowing out from her father's shoulder where Anjou had stabbed him.

Letting out a roar of anger, she found back the strength to stand up. Anger fuelled her heart and her blood veins were fully pumped with a sense of justice. Anjou took a step back upon seeing Elizaveta unleashed her anger. He attempted to draw his sword to fight her, but her father managed to hold down his sword and used his remaining strength to deliver a kick so that Anjou would lose balance. Elizaveta then took this as the opportunity to kill him. She just did it, with a slash, without any remorse.

After all of Anjou's man was arrested and the chaos stopped, the Main Hetalia soldiers led by High Prince Roman and High Prince Germania said their thanks for stopping the war. Everyone rejoiced at the announcement that the war was finally put to an end.

"You did well, Lizzy." Roderich said, putting a comforting hand on Elizaveta's shoulder, another hand stroking the flower on her hair. It had grazed a little and some petals had fallen off during the fight, but it was still intact.

The two knew that their time was short. There was many things they wanted to say, but they were too hurtful, so they just decided to keep quiet and let time lingered on. "We will meet again, someday." Roderich told her, as if he was trying to comfort her. But she knew too well, it was impossible for them to be together.

"Roderich, it's time to go." High Prince Germania called out to Roderich. Since his father was dead, he will be living under Germania's roof for the time being. The two of them said a silent goodbye before the Main Hetalia troops left the Magyar border.

* * *

Life went on as normal after the war. Elizaveta once again return back to the dull estate of hers which she dread. Her mother was gone, her father seemed to take it calmly, though Elizaveta could tell that he was sad. His attitude towards her had changed as well. Although he never showed it through words and emotion, he no longer saw Elizaveta as something unwanted or just a piece of trash of the family. In fact, he was proud of Elizaveta for stopping the war and how she brought honour to the family.

Vladimir had also changed as well. He informed Elizaveta that he decided to break off their engagement as he found someone whom he truly love. Not that Elizaveta wanted to argue, she was more than happy to have the engagement called off. He also introduced his boyfriend, Aleksander to her. He told her how Aleksander made him change to be the Vladimir today. She inwardly squealed at their relationship, grateful of Aleksander who taught Vladimir to be more gentle and caring for others instead of being a spoiled brat. She briefly saw them holding hands walking in the market street one morning when she went to the capital. And that was the last time since she saw them.

She tried to live on her life as normally as possible, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of emptiness in her soul. After Roderich had left, she felt as if something was taken away from her together with him. She tried playing the piano, but it only added salt to her wound when she thought of the beautiful music Roderich would play to her. She would take a stroll in the garden in hope that will soothe her broken heart, but she would come across the flower bush Roderich had given her before the last battle. She had planted it in the garden so that she will always remember him, but seeing it makes her feel painful that she quickly retreated back indoor.

Her father tried his best to comfort her. He gave her more freedom so that she can manage her boring time. Occasionally, he would introduce some young noble man in hope that she will accept their hand of marriage but she would reject them all, claiming that her heart has already been taken.

When she thought that her life will continue on as dull as before, the rays of hope has come to her one day, about a year after the war has ended. It was any normal day Elizaveta was in her room making a dress when a servant knocked on her door informing her there were guests in the reception room. She sighed placing her embroidery, thinking it was another engagement her father had tried to introduce to her. But what surprised her was the sight of Roderich in the hall, she couldn't believe her eyes.

"R-Roderich? I-Is that you?" She asked unbelievably. The young man walked to her and made a graceful bow before taking her hand and planted a kiss on it.

"I'm glad to be able to see you again, Lizzy." He said with a smile. "How have you been doing lately?"

And then, she couldn't hold herself anymore. In mere seconds, she broke down and was soon in the arms of her beloved. "I missed you…" She said between sobs.

"I missed you too. I dreamt of seeing you every day. And every time I played the piano, I realized that you're not there listening." Roderich said, wiping her tears.

Things went in a blur after that. But she remember the longest and warmest conversation she ever had with her father. He had specially invited High Prince Germania and his nephew to their estate in hope they could talk of an engagement. He mentioned that Vladimir had told him about their relationship. He also said about his unhappy marriage with Elizaveta's mother had caused her death and made his realized that everyone deserved happiness. "I'm proud to have you as my daughter." He said to her, the words she had always been hoping he would said to her. It was the happiest moment in her life, knowing that her father acknowledged her and she will carry on the Hedervary's name and her marriage with Roderich will continue on strengthening the bond before Magyar Kingdom and Main Hetalia. And so, the engagement was set and the pair married a year later. Elizaveta inherited her father's property when he died a few years after the marriage.

* * *

"Lizzy, Lizzy!" Elizaveta snapped out of her trance and found herself meeting the eyes of her husband. "Roderich? What's wrong?"

"You have been spacing off for a while, what's in your mind?" Roderich asked, sipping his tea.

"Well, it's nothing." She shrugged her shoulder. "Do you remember the time we first met?"

A nostalgic smile spread across his face. "Is that why you're spacing off?"

"It's a tough road after all. But now we're together and livin' happily ever after, it's all worth it." Elizaveta commented. "Those two boys must be struggling on searching the love of their life as well, especially Gilbert."

"I thought you never care much about them." Roderich laughed a bit, "After all, they have grown up."

"Grown up, yes. I'm sure they can make their own decision good enough, though I hope nothing bad happens to them." She thought for a while before continue, "But of course, the journey of love can never be easy. They have to try hard to get it."

"As long as they are alright and happy with their choices, it's fine. We don't have to worry them much, they're Germania's sons after all." Roderich said, finishing his drink before going back to the piano. "I finally composed a new music, it's called Hungarian Rhapsody. Do you want to hear it?"

Elizaveta made a soft squeal. "That's amazing, Roderich! I would gladly hear that." And so, Roderich began playing the piano again as she let the music brought her back into memories.

xXx

And another long chapter. This bonus chapter took me quite a while and it tires me out having to write it out. So basically, this story is loosely based on the adaptation of Mulan and I think you understand how it goes. Also, I introduced Elizaveta origin as the Magyar Kingdom that was the origin of Hungary. In the second chapter, it was mentioned that Elizaveta married Roderich at 14, and it's consider common in that time. Also, Elizaveta's family status is higher than Roderich. I hope you all enjoy reading this story and tolerating all those crappy plot and grammar mistakes I made. Free time is not what I have much.

The final chapter of the story will be next. I already had the story in my mind and now I just have to write it out. It could take a week, even months though, so please be patient and forgive my inconsistent updates. What will happen to Alfred and Kiku? The fate of Gilbert and Ivan? Stay tune!

**Eqa Skylight**: I bet you're not expecting that scene to happen, don't 'cha? Whether Gilbert live or not, it will be in my hands. Muahahaha, but anyway, you should know that I'm not so bad at all. Thank you for being patient while waiting me to update this story.

**Thebigeyedpanda**: You made a good guess about the young man who danced with Natalia, but the answer is already there. Is that Ouran High School reference? I'm glad you liked that part where Alfred and Kiku reconcile. Have a nice stay and enjoy reading this story.


	23. Chapter 18

**One Last Fairytale: A Happily Ever After**

It all happened in slow motion. Ivan blamed it all on his carelessness. He had actually felt a presence of someone tailing him when he sneaked out to the North Kingdom. He knew it all along but chose to ignore it before his heart hurts too much to care for anything else.

Everything happened in a flash, but Ivan remembered every single moment as it replayed in his mind. He was in a bad mood and his argument with Gilbert weren't helping that he stubbornly insisted going his way. He was about to make his horse trotted forward when he caught a shiny, silvery blade at the corner of his eyes. In the next second, Gilbert was standing in front of him with blood splattering his clothing. All the while Ivan could only stared in shock and watched Gilbert fell off his horse onto the snowy ground with his blood staining the snow.

"Gilbert!" Ivan called out for him, only to feel the similar cold, sharp blade coated with blood on his neck. He was stunned for a moment, feeling a calloused hand ran through his shoulder while his spine shuddered.

"Revenge…" That person muttered, "All traitors… begone from here…"

Ivan dared a movement, knowing that he has the upperhand because his attacker was an old man. With much ease, he grabbed hold of the person's hand and twisted his wrist so that his hold on the knife loosen and he was able to get out from his grasp. The old man tried to hit him down but Ivan was stronger and in one swift movement, he used his sword to behead the man in a single swipe.

Ivan then knelt down onto the snowy ground to allow himself to catch his breath as the dead man's head fell with a thud on the ground. He could only watched in horror, reality hitting him that he had killed a man. But this man, the person who had taken those people he had treasured the most. Arthur hated him as well because not only he almost killed Francis, but he killed Matthew but he cannot brought himself to kill him, even Francis failed to do so.

He remembered the day when the old North Kingdom fell, his mother died because his ordered attack on the castle. Years later, he lost Yao and Matthew as his crazed armies attacked Main Hetalia. He also remembered that this person was responsible for the death of High Prince Roman and High Prince Germania. Tears glimmered in his eyes, remembering all those painful moments he was made to suffer, all because of the doing of this person.

_Will you cry over the pass? Or will you accept it and move forward?_ These words rang in his mind. He whipped around to see Gilbert was lying motionless on the snowy ground, covered in his own blood. Ivan quickly scurried next to Gilbert and gathered the older prince in his arm, only to howl in anguish when he noticed that the later had stopped breathing.

"Gilbert… How can you be so cruel to leave me alone…?" Ivan said to himself, tears began to flow down freely from his violet orbs as fingers stretched out to gently caress his pale skin. Snow continued to fall, gently grazing on Gilbert's face. Ivan just couldn't help but noticed how white Gilbert's skin has become as life was drained away from him. Skin as white as snow…

_Do you remember the traits of Snow White? Specifically, what she was aptly named for? Do you remember what saved her from the spell that had been cast on her? The death-like state she was in?_

"A True Love's First Kiss…" Ivan muttered. It won't work at all, will it? Those things he once loved to hear were nothing but fairytales that won't even come real in real life. But still, he decided to plant a kiss on Gilbert's lips, realizing that he truly cared for the man.

_'Hey, let's play together.'_ Ivan always insisted to himself that he will never love another person after Yao's death. But for some reasons, Gilbert managed to worm his way into Ivan's heart. He didn't intend to show it, but he couldn't shake off the feeling he had for the elder prince, especially when he ranted and trashed all over the place trying to hit sense into his mind. Ivan didn't think much about it at first, but over the time, he found Gilbert's yearning for him made his heart warm, something he has not felt since years ago. The kiss may have only lasted for a few seconds, but those moments made Ivan realized that there's someone out there who still love him and is always by his side. Suddenly, he felt guilty. Gilbert has done so much for his sake, but he never appreciated it because he was blinded by Yao's death. And now he finally realized it, it's too late because the other person who loved him as much as Yao did was gone, just like the later. "Gilbert… I'm sorry…" He muttered in between kisses, "I love you… I just never realize it until now…"

It was then he heard a gasp, his breath was slow and his voice was weak but it somehow refreshed the hope in his heart. "I love you too, Ivan…" Those words, were the words that finally melted Ivan's long frozen heart. He pulled away and his gaze met a pair of crimson eyes looking up at him lovingly.

"Gilbert…" And Ivan could only gasped in surprise at Gilbert's sudden miracle revival, large hands reached out to stroke the previously snow white cheeks, which warmth and some of its colour has return. Could it be…? Gilbert's heart must've reacted to Ivan's true love kiss.

"Gilbert, will you forgive me? For my foolishness and recklessness, and what I've done to you all the time." The other prince managed a weak smile as he found some strength to reach out for Ivan's face. "I had already forgive you… It's my fault too for being harsh to you in the first place without understanding how you felt."

The snow continued to fall, but both princes could care less about the cold. Ivan could stare at nothing but his newfound love. He realized that how much time was gone since he actually had a friendly conversation with Gilbert and when was the last time they actually played together. But all those time were the past and the only way he could do to mend it is by treating Gilbert properly and love him in the future. Embracing his love in his arms, Ivan enveloped the smaller prince into a hug while confessing, "I love you, Gilbert. I will love you from now on until forever, and I shall protect you with my life until my dying day."

Gilbert managed to lift his hand to gently grazed Ivan's cheek, silencing him in the process. Ivan looked down at the man he had grown to love, his thump gently dusted off the snow that pelted his snow white skin. The elder prince seemed to have found the strength to sit up. Pushing his other arm on the snowy ground, Gilbert forced himself to sit up despite the pain in his abdomen. "I love you too, Ivan." He said pressing a kiss on the other's cheeks. Ivan took it as his cue and planted another kiss at the other prince's lips while he gently hoisted Gilbert up and carried him onto his horse before heading off to seek shelter from the blizzard.

* * *

"Alfred-san, is this really alright?" Kiku asked, gathering his coat tighter around his neck.

"We have no choice." Alfred said poking the fire with a tree branch. "This cave is the only place for us to hide away from the snow."

Kiku sighed and snuggled deeper into the warmth of his coat. "I'm sorry for troubling you."

"Hey, there's no need for apologizing." Alfred shook it off.

"No, it's my fault." Kiku said as he came to Alfred's side and sat next to him. "If it wasn't because of me, you wouldn't had run away from home. And if it wasn't because I insisted on visiting my mother's grave on her passing anniversary, we wouldn't have been caught by Ivan."

"Stop blaming yourself, Kiku." Alfred shushed him by placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's my decision, and I don't regret it. After all, your happiness is also my happiness and I can't just let you suffer all that pain again."

"Alfred…"

"Anyway, we should get some rest, it's pretty late already." Alfred said, "We'll have to get outta this place tomorrow."

Kiku sat closer to Alfred, feeling the warmth of the fire radiated at his body. "Where should we go then? Is there a place where we can hide forever?"

At this question, Alfred was silent. Kiku was right after all. They just can't keep hiding away from his parents or the rest of the world, there's nowhere they can actually hide. Suddenly, Alfred felt the world was so much different than all those fairytale he had heard from his parents. Sure, he ran away with the person he wished to be, but it seems happiness is just far from what he expected. They were together, and now what? What plans did he have in the future? He didn't even know what kind of live awaits him. To think that he no longer lived as a prince, Alfred just couldn't imagine it. Come to think of it, he'd rather live in the Main Hetalia castle instead of roaming around aimlessly. It was the freedom he had wanted, but there's just no meaning running around like this with nothing to do.

Now that was a pain. Alfred sat down next to the fire as he buried deep in his own thoughts. He had done this in hope that he could pursue his own happiness, but all that has come to it was just a dead end? No way, after all the hardship they had been through, he can't just give up. But what would he do for this new life of his? Things is just so much harder than what he listened in those stories or what he had expected. The more he think of it, the more he realized how important his job as a crown prince was. There was nothing better but his life as a crown prince.

But if he went back, will the nobles opposed his marriage with Kiku? Ivan told him that his fathers will never accept Kiku due to his status, how true is this? He never told them and never talked about Kiku in front of them. And from what he knew, his fathers weren't these kind of person. His papa was a son of a concubine, yet his dad accepted him for who he was. And they had the list of guests extended to all eligible people across the kingdom, even the poorest were invited, because they knew that there was no boundary for love. Also, they accepted Kiku since he was a child and treated him as if he was part of the family so they couldn't have hated him, could they? Questions flooded in his mind that he felt dizzy thinking too much about it. He laid down with a sigh, not knowing what he should do. "I just don't know, Kiku…" He said, "There are just too many things, and I don't know what to do."

The servant boy's face remained as blank as usual, but there's a hint of distress in his brow. Still, he chose not to pressure the prince too much. "Don't take it into your heart, Alfred-san. Some things are just beyond our control."

"I guess you're right." Alfred smiled tiredly. He decided that he should retired for the day when he noticed a shadow lurking near the cave. When the shadow came closer, it was revealed to be his brother, Ivan, who was carrying a wounded Gilbert. Kiku gasped in horror at the sight of the older prince while Alfred sprinted into action by stepping himself in front of Kiku, determined to protect him from being separated.

"So this is where you are, Alfred." Ivan said, his bloodied face void of emotion. At that moment, both Alfred and Kiku could feel his creepy aura slipping into the space around them, making them cripple under his stare.

"Ivan…" Alfred said forcefully, trying not to quiver at the uneasiness his brother created. "So you've found us… Don't tell me you're planning to take us back already."

The older prince inhaled a deep breath before facing Alfred again. "That can talk later." He said. "But first, we need to treat his wound." He said gesturing to the unconscious Gilbert on his arms.

"Dude, he's injured seriously. Can he live through that?"

"As long as we treated him and let him have proper rest." Ivan said monotonously. He let Gilbert laid down next to the fire while he began undressing him, revealing a large stabbing wound on his upper abdomen. "But it will be a problem since we don't have water with us…"

Kiku seemed to react instantly at his words. He stood up from Alfred's protective embrace before saying, "T-There… There's a spring inside this cave. I-I will go and retrieve some water for you." He said before disappearing into the shadows. Alfred wished that he would tagged along but the look on Ivan's face seemed to freeze him.

Kiku returned almost immediately with a bucket filled with water. Ivan wasted no time in cleaning Gilbert's wound. Alfred just sat aside quietly as he watched his brother cleaned the blood on Gilbert's abdomen before using a piece of cloth to wrap around it securely. He then took off his coat to cover Gilbert's body while letting him rest by the fire. The remaining water was then used to clean the blood stain on his face.

And then, they ended up being on a silent staring contest. Kiku who couldn't face Ivan turned his face away in order to avoid eye contact. Alfred continued to glare at his brother in full alert, aware that he was up to something.

"Alfred," Ivan broke the silence, "We need to talk." Alfred seemed to be in a daze at his words. He gaped his mouth open but before he could uttered something coherence. Ivan added, "Privately."

Alfred and Kiku only have time to look at each other before Ivan stood up and walked deeper into the cave. Alfred squeezed Kiku's hand in a reassuring way as he whispered, "I will be right back. Stay here." He then followed Ivan soon.

* * *

Alfred followed behind Ivan as they ventured deeper into the caves. Sounds of water squishing sound can be heard at a distance away. But Ivan didn't go that far, he found a nice spot for them to sit down and talked. Both princes sat down facing each other, the silent match continued, each side debating who should start first.

"Alfred," Ivan started. "You should go home."

Alfred perked up at his brother's words. They sounded so cold and cruel. "And what will you do then?! Papa and daddy are gonna force me and Kiku to break up, isn't that right? Like hell I would let that happen!"

"Do you really think Arthur and Francis will do that?" Ivan questioned back. "You didn't even talk to them and just ran away like that. So how do you know they will reject your decision?"

"You told me yourself." Alfred retorted. "You fucking tell me that they won't accept Kiku as my choice of husband."

"I know…" Ivan swallowed down a grunt. "In fact, I lied…"

Again, Alfred was stunned. "You… What?"

"I lied," Ivan repeated. "I was hoping that if I told you that Kiku will not be accepted into the royal line will break you up. I tried, but I didn't expect you to actually runaway."

Now Alfred was really confused. Was this all a setup by his brother? "That day when Kiku ran away from the castle… He said you hit him… Is that your doing as well?"

"…Yes…"

Great, now this really was confusing. "Why did you do that?!" He fired.

"I just want to protect you." Ivan replied. "I was scared that you will end up being like me when you lost Kiku."

"I don't get it." Alfred mumbled. "I don't understand a thing at all."

Ivan heaved a sigh. "Alfred, do you ever know why there are stories like fairytales? Have you ever wonder why were such stories told in the first place?" When he received no reply from Alfred, he continued as his cue, "Remember the story of a princess and her love and the story about a prince and his beautiful servant? Those were your favourite story back then."

"They are stories alright, but I like them because the story plot is much different than any other stories I have heard before. They are more surreal unlike the rest."

"That's a spot on." Ivan said. "In fact, these tales are based on true events that had happened on the teller itself." Violet orbs gazed far away as if he was remembering something. "Y' know, about the story of the princess and her love, Francis came up with that story after all the struggles they had been through to fight for their love for each other."

Alfred's eyebrows raised a bit at the revelation. "Is that true?"

"Indeed." Ivan said. "Though they removed some of the unhappy part, because letting you hear about it is too depressing."

"And the story you once told me about the prince and his servant?" Alfred enquiried.

"It's a made up story as well." Ivan hummed. "A tribute to Yao, remember? I loved him so deeply since I was a child… But he died."

Alfred seemed saddened a bit at what Ivan had said. "That reminds me of Matthew. His life was just beginning, maybe it was because of fate."

"And that was when you shut yourself up and refused to listen to anything anymore." Ivan added. "'They're nothing but lies! There's no such thing as Happily Ever After!', that's what you said, but I managed to convince you to believe in them again, though I would never agree with that statement I mentioned to you."

"Then why would you tell me that when you don't believe it at all?"

Tears glistened in his brother's eyes while he managed a sad smile. "After Yao's death, I always thought that fairytales were just nothing but made up stories to sound happy and complete. I gave up in believing them because I thought I had lost my love and there's no point of believing in it at all."

"So, you have changed your mind?" Alfred pressed on. "What makes you believe in those things now?"

"I remembered the time when Francis made up the story for us. He asked Arthur if there was no such thing as Happily Ever After in the real world. Arthur said there was, but it took a lot of sadness and hardships to get there." The older prince smiled and wiped off the tears. "They knew that real life aren't as complete as fairytales were, after all they never wanted to remember all those sad moments in their lives, so they had it removed and retained those happy times."

"So when the time you related me the story that the prince ran away with his servant so that they can be together, is it because you want to hide those unhappy times you had been through?"

"At first, I made it in hope to console my broken heart, but it only saddens me more. But since it convinced you to continue in believing them, so I had to hide the fact from you." Ivan's fingers ran along the sandy ground as if it was trying to draw something. "But over the time, it makes me realize that there is always someone by your side to love you even the other was gone. I have to cherish those time and people whom I hold dear so that I won't lose them again in the near future."

"That sounds a lot better." Alfred commented. "And you may be right after all. Although our lives will not be exactly the same as fairytales, it always comes with sorrow and happiness together. But no matter how many bad things we have been through, we will still be happy in the end."

"Like your fathers," Ivan added, "They may have achieved their _Happily Ever After_, but that doesn't mean that their life is over. In fact, they lived on, ruled the country, have family. And they remained strong even after the tragedy." He recalled every details he had been through ever since Arthur and Francis entered his life. "Life is like a fairytale, a different kind of fairytale that works rather different. Although it is different from what you experienced, as long as you continued to believe in it and have your faith on life, you will turn out to be happy in the end."

Alfred smiled at his brother's words. "Say, I like you better than before. After all, you are the best and understanding big brother of mine." Ignoring the slightly creepy aura radiated from his brother, he placed his arm on the other's shoulder before asking, "So, about my relationship with Kiku…"

"As long as you're happy, I'm okay with it." Ivan said, finding Alfred's statement insulting but amusing at the same time. "At first I intended to separate the two of you in hope that you will give up of him. But as what people said, you're the type of person who won't give up easily." He laughed a little. "I was just afraid that if Kiku left you, you will end up in a depressing state like how I lost Yao. But all those worries were just nothing and I realized that forcing you apart will only make you even unhappier than me."

"That's means you acknowledge Kiku as my choice of spouse?" Alfred asked, he couldn't even contained his excitement.

Ivan chuckled. "Of course I do, the two of you are the perfect match. And I bet Arthur and Francis are more than willing to accept Kiku into the family."

"That means everything's settled." Alfred jumped in excitement as he prepared to dash back to the entrance.

"Just please remember to follow us back to the castle once Gilbert has recovered." Ivan reminded.

* * *

Both princes walked hand-in-hand back to the entrance where Gilbert and Kiku were. Gilbert has regained conscious and Kiku helped him to sit up. The moment when the two Crown Prince appeared, Kiku perked up a little while Gilbert managed to make a mischievous grin upon seeing the wide grin on Alfred's face.

Alfred was the one who tackled onto Kiku and enveloped him into a tight hug. Kiku was confused at the sudden show of affection. His prince bright blue eyes beamed at his brown orbs before planting a passionate kiss on his lips.

"I guess things are settled then?" Gilbert asked Ivan while they watched the younger pair displayed their love before them.

"Yes, everything has finally comes to an end." Ivan said, letting Gilbert laid on his lap.

"That means… You're going to move on? And find someone you love?"

"Yao was the past." Ivan said. "But now that I had found someone who will always be there for me." Gilbert felt his heart skipped a beat and his face flushed up when his eyes met Ivan's, they were full of life and warmth unlike previously. He didn't have much time to think further when he met a kiss on the cheeks. "You have always taken care of me, now it's my turn to take care of you."

Gilbert just huffed unamusingly as he tugged the scarf Ivan was wearing. "I'm just glad that you had finally changed your mind and I managed to live until this day. Who knows what will happen to you when I really die?"

"I don't know." Ivan said nonchalantly. "After all, you're mine now and I won't let that happen."

"Bastard." Gilbert muttered before looking back at Kiku and Alfred who continued to share kisses under the snowy night. Things just don't go as what they wished, but in the end they finally get together and find their true love. It won't be long for that Happily Ever After to come. "At least all's well ends well."

xXx

Another chapter, finally finished. I have been dying to finish this story by the end of this year. After all, this is considered to be the final chapter for the main storyline. There will be two more chapters after this, one bonus story and then an epilogue to conclude this story.

Thank you for reading One Last Fairytale. This story originated by Kari Kurofai and adopted by me to continue finish writing this. I hope you all find this story enjoyable and please excuse for my bad writing style.


	24. Bonus Chapter (FrUK)

**One Last Fairytale (Bonus Story): Circle of Life**

Life in the castle seemed to return to normal. Alfred led the love of his life to the lake of the garden where they would play together when they were still young. Those days were long gone, but the memories remained fresh in their mind, just like yesterday.

"Do you remember this place?" Alfred asked, though the other knew the answer already. "We used to throw stones at the lake monster when we were still children." He reminisced, "And then on my 7th birthday you presented me with so many beautiful flowers…"

"Those were young times." Kiku said, "And it's this place we were reunited again." He looked up at Alfred's beaming face, their eyes locked instantly. "We have been through a long way, hardship and happiness… It's not an easy way."

Strong, warm hands reached out to cup the smaller man's face as they gazed at each other lovingly. "I have lost Matthew at young age, I lost Natalia… and I almost lost you, but thanks to fate, we were brought together again." Alfred said gently, "And from that moment when I reunited with you, I had made my decision to protect you and love you with my entire life. I'm not going to lose you again like how I lost Mattie."

Kiku could only blushed when the prince, his prince planted a sweet but gentle kiss on his lip. "I… I'm just glad that I met you, Alfred…" He said when they broke apart. "You changed my life… I can't imagine how my life would be without you, Arthur and Francis, and Natalia too."

Alfred smiled down at him and placed one hand on his shoulder. "Life is not an easy route." He said. "Although it may not be exactly the same in those fairytales we had heard off, but every element has its truth to it. We may have been through a lot of hardship, troubles and sadness, and even losing someone precious to us, but it is the force that strengthens our bonds and made us here today."

"That's very unlikely of you to say something like that." Kiku smiled, "I didn't expect that."

"C'mon, it took me almost twelve years of my life to figure out the meaning of my living, but I guess all those pains didn't meant nothing."

"You will love me, won't you?" Kiku asked back. "You won't banish me like you did to me last time, right? Surely you will keep your word until death do us apart, won't you?"

He soon found his hand being enveloped by the prince larger hands. "Silly Kiku, of course I will love you. I won't let the same thing happen to us again. And I will love you forever, even death can't sever our bond, I promise to that." They then shared another kiss in the garden where no one could see their intimate behaviour.

* * *

Well, no one but one. Arthur watched from his room balcony as his son peppered his lover with kisses on the face. It made his heart swell with both pride and sadness at the same time.

"That boy has certainly grow up, non?" His husband's voice came from the room inside. The king turned around and entered the room where he was met with a kiss. "Are you jealous that he have a kiss but you don't?" The other king teased, only to earn a smack by the shoulder.

"Shut up, you stupid frog! I only married you cos' you made me went through that."

"I'm hurt, mon Angleterre…" Francis whined in a mock hurt tone while Arthur smirked, "But I'm enjoying it."

The two sank in deep silence before Arthur broke it again. "How time flies…" He muttered, "How long has it been since that fateful day?"

"Hmm… Could it have been 30 years?" Francis hummed.

"Probably..." Arthur just shrugged it off before going to sit next to Francis. "To see Alfred growing up into a man, we must've gotten quite old, don't we?"

"Don't say that, Arthur. You said as if we are going to die." Francis chided.

"We ARE gonna die someday!" Arthur corrected. "There is no king who would live to see their son being crowned. Their coronation means our funeral."

"Such a pessimist you are." Francis commented. "I was hoping that you would say Alfred will be a good king or some sort."

"We did raise him well, after all." Arthur added, a proud grin laced on his face. "After what we had been through, I'm really glad that I met you."

"I didn't expect that." Francis grinned back. "But whatever did Alfred ran away weeks ago seemed like what we did back then…"

Arthur let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulder. "Well, there are some things better kept as a secret… Young people nowadays think so much differently from their old man, but as long as everything turns out alright… It should be fine." Arthur said, glancing out towards the balcony which lead to the garden. "At least what Alfred has been through is not as harsh as us."

"Speaking which, have you found a way for Alfred to have an heir or something? It is crucial for the survival of the bloodline." Francis said putting his arm on Arthur's shoulder.

Arthur swallowed, thinking about the future possibility. "I have done so much, including asking the fairies about it. It is all a possibility or just an inference, but whether this works is rather different." He bit his lip. "Katyusha said I conceived because it was natural for a bloodline survival, or because my connection with the fairies, but does this work for other? That has yet to be proved."

Arthur turned to look at his husband to see what his reaction was. Francis lips formed a straight line as if he was considering the worst case scenario. "If the theory won't work and when worst come to worst, we have to seek an alternative."

Arthur nodded grimly. It was easy to tell what Francis was thinking after years of married life. "We let Alfred decide on what he wants, and there are times that things won't go smoothly as we hoped, they ended up having to be sacrificed. That can't be helped then…" But was he willing to break the long line of tradition and go for the alternative? He already broke the law of having two kings on the throne, and will the royal lineage soon come to an end because of all this?

Francis seemed to understand Arthur's dilemma. He gave his shoulder a gentle reassuring pat before standing up. "Everything is up to fate." He whispered. "I'm going outside for a walk." He added before leaving the room.

Arthur watched him left the room before he let out another sigh. He turned to look out at the garden to see if he can catch a glimpse of Alfred, but the crown prince and his lover were already out of his sight. He ran his hand across his messy blond hair while thinking if this is the right thing to do.

It was not hard to find where Francis was. Arthur found him at the usual place, the stables where he was tending to his priced unicorn Sterling. The creature has aged, just like its owner. It now spent more time indoor rather than wandering outside, it has also stop biting people. Arthur watched as Francis ran a loving hand on Sterling's mane while he fed it with an apple. He always made him wonder how Francis could get along with his otherwise aggressive unicorn, that remained a mystery till today.

Arthur has never dreamt that he would actually fall in love with Francis. He expected that his parent will end up choosing one of the court ladies for him to marry and then he will lead a normal life of a king. Everything changed when Francis entered his dull life, he then found himself falling in love for the Southeast second prince, and that would've changed his life forever. He still remembered how harsh his father sounded when he made his decision to go with Francis and then the night when they eloped to the North Kingdom for protection. He thought he could finally settled a peaceful and quiet life with Francis but things were not always easy. The painful memory of the old North Kingdom being destroyed by his father etched on his mind. He thought of losing Francis and having to raise their children alone. He thought of Ivan and Natalia who lost their mother when the castle was attacked. It was then he realized that he has to kill in father in order to take over the throne to prevent anymore bad things from happening. He was grateful that both High Princes of the West Kingdom and the Southeast Kingdom were willing to help him. And finally, the old king was overthrown and Arthur succeeded him, in exchange of High Prince Roman and High Prince Germania's death. Arthur knew that both of them did this for the sake of him and the kingdom, but he felt he was the one to be blamed of their death, albeit not directly. But when seeing Francis alive from all the chaos gave him the will and hope to live again.

"Cheri, what are you doing standing there like a tree?" Francis' voice snapped him out of his trance. He turned his head to find Francis now standing just next to him. All he could do is shake his head, "It's nothing, just thinking about the past…"

In the past, Arthur hated his father. He did obeyed him and tried to fulfil his every single wishes, but over the time, he got tired of his whim that he decided to rebel against his father. That was nothing but just young people wanting a life of their own but worse comes to worse when his father rejected his relationship with Francis just because of status. Arthur tried to make sense with him but he just won't listen, that only broke his heart even more that he decided to run away with Francis so that he can have everything his own way.

However, Arthur finally snapped when his father sent troops to attack the North Kingdom that kill High Princess Katyusha, eventually both High Princes Roman and Germania. Arthur realized that the only way to stop the bloody massacre is to overthrow his father and take over the throne. But then, he can't put his hands into killing his own father, his blood is HIS blood too and he can't stand with the thought of a son killing his father for something like the crown. He hated him, yes, but he can't let himself do such an act, it will damage the image of the royal family. When the raid was successful, Arthur was more than glad to take the crown, although his father managed to escape alive (to others he said otherwise).

A few weeks after Alfred ran away from the castle, he returned along with his chosen spouse, followed by Ivan and Gilbert. Ivan brought him news that he killed his father in the snowy barren field of the North Kingdom. At first, Arthur was shocked and saddened at the news of his father's death that made him wondered if he made the right choice all along the way. But then, it could've been the best for that old man. His father had suffered too much and driven into insanity which caused him to kill so many innocent lives. Albeit reluctant, Arthur had performed a small secret funeral and mourning ceremony for his late father as he was once a great king who ruled over Main Hetalia. Arthur can't get through much of it, it was Francis' support that drives his guilt away.

"We've been through such a long journey, with so many troubles." Arthur mumbled. He followed Francis to the garden. Arthur subconsciously turned to look at a small indent between the castle walls hidden by the tree branches. _The fairies' place_… Arthur thought, he had not seen those fairies he knew previously. It was possible they were gone or had left when the old castle was burnt down. A breeze blew by, as if it took Arthur's mind away back into time again…

Arthur and Francis got more than what they expected. He never thought that he would ended up conceiving Francis' children and having a family together. When he was crowned king, he thought that he finally have his normal life back and raising his child safely without any hindrance but again he was wrong. It all happened just a week after Alfred and Matthew's birthday. A mop of soldiers led by his mad father stormed the castle and slaughtered anyone who came into their sights. The most notable deaths being his son, Matthew. At this, he finally broke down. All this time his father has been destroying his every single happiness again and again. Since then, he vowed that his father must be killed, not for the sake of revenge but in the name of justice and the pride of the kingdom. Yet, the old king was never caught, nobody ever saw him, until when Ivan finally had his head off. It was a hard decision having to kill him, he had to do it to protect his family.

"Seeing Alfred growing up and finding his true love, isn't it such a déjà vu?" Francis asked. "His determination to find someone he loved and the way he ran away in hope of pursuing his true love… It was just like those days when we were still young."

"He definitely is our child." Arthur said. "Though it was painful having to bear the burden of a future ruler and losing his brother at young age."

"Ah… Our sweet little Mathieu…" Francis heaved a sigh. "Had he not been killed, he would have been a full grown adult just like our Alfred there."

Arthur leaned next to Francis, resting his head on his husband's shoulder. "I know it's hard for Alfred, but it's fate decision, there's nothing we can do about it." Emerald green eyes fixed on the clear stilled lake water, remembering the first ever adventure he had with Francis. "I'm glad that he managed to get out of it. And to find someone he love and of the suitable choice… It's more than enough I can asked for."

"This is Alfred's fairytale after all." Francis said, wrapping one arm across Arthur's waist. "He has his right to decide on what he wants and write his own story, just like us."

"Francis, have you ever regret with what we had done? Are you regret meeting me?" Arthur asked. At instance, Francis' blue eyes widened. "If it wasn't because of this, my father would not have gone insane. A-And… And High Princess Katyusha, High Prince Roman and High Prince Germania will not die just for my sake, and we won't ended up being attacked years ago…"

Calloused, but strong fingers went to cup his chin, silencing him in the process. His hand made him turned to face him. "It's not easy walking down the path we had chosen, but I will not regret taking that path. If I was given another chance, I will definitely go this way, even though we will lost those important to us." Green eyes meet blue eyes, rivalling that of the lake. "If I didn't save you on that fateful day, I will have to see you married off to someone you don't love. Neither you nor I will be happy, nor the other kingdoms will be happy with this either."

At this point, Arthur could felt tears gathered in his eyes as he stared back at his husband. There was no need for any words for this, for all the hardship they had been through. He made his decision, and he will never turn back, because he believe it was his own happiness. He had been grateful to meet Francis, it was where he found his happiness. Even after years of ruling together, he will continue holding hands with his husband as they walked down the remaining journey of their lives.

Francis seemed to understand what he was thinking, he then closed their distance to share a deep kiss for a moment. Meeting Arthur had changed his life completely. At first, he would flirted with young court ladies in hope of getting attention as he was always being ignored due to his status. That was until when he met Arthur, he felt a strong urge to protect him and made him his. The second Southeast prince has manage to worm into the crown prince's heart and they had quickly fall in love, just like they were destined to. Separation was a painful moment, but that made him even more determined to win Arthur as his. Even though they may not make the most perfect pair, they were destined to be together and live despite their polar opposites. It's one thing that made their bond last till today.

"Papa, dad, there you are." Both kings eventually have to broke up the kiss when someone had disturbed their private moment. "Dinner is ready, we're waiting for you to join us."

So both kings ended up following Alfred to the royal dining quarters for dinner. But this time, it felt more like a family reunion dinner rather than just any royal dinner. Francis and Arthur took their seat side to side respectively, across them sat Ivan and High Prince Gilbert whom he was currently engaging, his smile seemed brighter than ever. Next to Francis sat Alfred and his fiancée, Kiku, who sat quietly with his hands folded politely on his lap. Francis and Arthur had quickly approved Kiku as Alfred's choice of spouse because not only Kiku has been once a faithful servant, he also had the manners and knowledge which Alfred don't, that could actually be very helpful for Alfred in the future. On Arthur's side was Natalia and Toris, who were currently engaged as well. Natalia informed them about the engagement not too long ago, much to the joy of both kings that their adopted daughter has finally found someone she loved. Arthur couldn't be happier for his family. His family, once broken has finally become complete again, and he was sure that it will maintain that way many years after this.

* * *

Three months later came the wedding of the crown prince. Arthur just couldn't stop stressing and jumping all over the place wanting everything to be perfectly set. Francis just finds it amusing while Alfred thinks he was acting like a worried mother.

"You should calm down, cheri. You're freaking Alfred out." Francis said trying to calm him from jumping too much.

"This is the most important day in his life. I must ensure that everything is in place otherwise it would bring bad luck in the future."

"Oui, but things are already good than enough, so it should be fine. Can't you just stop fretting around?" There's no need much words about this. Francis can tell what Arthur was thinking by just looking at the eye. "You're excited, aren't you? We never had such a day back then."

Arthur heaved a sigh. "You're right…" He said, facing Francis with a weak smile. "It seems like I can't hide anything from you at all."

A mischievous smirk graced across the other king's lip. "You chose me, and I have been by your side for like… 30 years or something? There's nothing I don't know about you and how you feel."

"That was quite an answer, or an excuse." Arthur said, throwing a weak punch on his shoulder, but his face broke out into a grin anyway. The moment he retracted his hand, he caught sight of the silver ring on his finger, which caused him to reminisce how their love had thrive throughout hardship and continued to remain strong till now.

"I was wondering…" Francis said, suddenly deep in thought. "Do you remember that story of a beautiful princess and her forbidden love we once told to the children?"

Arthur nodded in response. "How could I forget that? You made me into a ridiculous girl and you an innocent bastard."

"Quite close enough." Francis teased.

The door to their room was then swung open, revealing the soon-to-be king dressed smartly for his wedding. "Papa, dad, are you all done? It's about time."

Both kings turned their attention to him before Arthur drew a sigh. "Alfred, I thought I taught you to knock on the door before entering." He lectured again. "I know it's about time, but ARE you ready for this?"

Alfred nervously ran a hand through his blonde locks he had combed into perfection, except for that small strand that refuse to stay put. "Shoulda been fine…" He mumbled, worry and excitement visible on his face.

Arthur's emerald green eyes scanned him thoroughly. Even though he was already in his forties, his eyesight was still as sharp as an eagle. His eyes landed on the crooked tie rested just below Alfred's collar. "Seriously, you're already eighteen and is getting married. And yet, you can't even wear your attire properly." Frowning, he reached out to help him adjusted his tie and suit to look more presentable.

Alfred sighed annoyingly while letting his father fretted over his outfit and donning them at the same time. "Dad, you're nagging and fretting all over the place. Imma gettin' nervous. You aren't even my mom." He whined with a pout.

At a corner, Francis tried hard to hide his snicker which was obviously showing while Arthur frowned harder as colour crawled his face. There it go again, everytime he asked about his parentage, they would have funny expressions on their face while he didn't get an answer at all. It annoyed him to no end.

"Alfred, young man, I taught and raised you better than this." Arthur reprimanded gravely, his tone at the border of rage. "You better be grateful that it was me who had you and raised you with all my love. Otherwise, you won't even be here today." In his lecture, he didn't even realized that his tongue slipped and it was too late.

"Wait, you… What?" Alfred blinked, puzzled with his father's words. "You HAD me?" He questioned back in confusion.

Arthur expression softened a bit. Sighing, he turned his head away from Alfred and looked sideway. At that, Alfred definitely knew something was up. Even his papa seemed to not be able to hold his grin anymore and was sending Arthur a perverted glance.

The silence was once again broken, by Arthur. "I guess… It was time you learn the truth…" He said not looking at Alfred.

"The truth?"

At this, Francis walked up to Arthur's side and placed a comforting hand on his husband's shoulder as a reassurance. "We have been thinking of telling you this for a long time." He paused, waiting for a reaction. When Alfred just nodded in response, he continued, "You have always asked us about your parentage and if you're actually related to us. All those time we would avoid your question, but seeing that you're now grown up, there's no way we could keep this any longer."

"So what are you going to tell me?" Alfred asked impatiently.

"Have you ever wonder or think about a successor?" Arthur asked, "What if something had happened to you and who should take over your throne?"

"Of course we need an heir for that." Alfred answered without a second thought. "But since both Kiku and I are men, we might have to adopt one."

"That may be one of the option." Arthur mumbled. He inhaled deeply while trying to calm his nerves. Here comes the hard part. "But what if I tell you that you can actually have your very own children?"

At this point, Alfred's face turned into that of confusion. "Wh-What do you mean that?" He looked at both his father's expression, their face wore grave seriousness. "You can't be joking right?"

"No Alfred, this is the truth. You're our son, both Arthur and me, by blood. Your brother, Matthew was also our son too." Francis broke out. "To be more precise, Arthur is actually your biological mother and I'm the father."

Alfred's remained blank for a moment before he observed their expression again, both weren't even laughing. His face soon turned into that of a shock. "W-Wait! How is this possible? You… You are… my mother?!" He stared at Arthur in disbelief while figuring out what Francis had informed him. "You can't be kidding! I'm serious."

Arthur heaved a sigh and cut Alfred's panic. "It is true, Alfred. I'm your mom who gave birth to you years ago."

And then, Alfred found himself speechless again. "B-But… Is it really possible? Does it work between I and Kiku too?"

Arthur mentally scolded Alfred for his bad grammar but he just wasn't in the mood to do so. "It is possible." He said. "As long as it is true love, some sort of magic or blessing by the fairies."

"You had learned in your lesson about what happened to us, don't you?" Francis asked. "We ran away to escape from your grandfather and sought refuge at the North Kingdom. Few years later, your dad conceived you and Matthew. We were surprised with it but excited at the same time with the thought of having our own child. But then…"

"The old king attacked and collapsed the North Kingdom…" Alfred continued for him. This part of history remained the most vivid part in all his lessons since it was the hardest time his parents had been through. "But how is that possible?"

"True love," was Arthur's answer. "It was also partially true that it is to ensure the survival of the royal bloodline, and the fairies doing as well. But the catalyst for these to happen was the unwavering bond between two rulers."

"Pff… I thought those kind of stuff only exists in stories and fairytales." Alfred mumbled.

"But it's important for you, Alfred." Francis said. "Arthur had spent years in trying to understand and find out the formula. So we hope that you and Kiku will have a child that will be your heir one day."

Alfred pondered for a moment. "I will try." He said. "But what matters is now."

"You're right." Francis grinned. "We better get going if we don't want the guests to keep waiting." He then left the room first. Alfred was about to follow but Arthur stopped him.

"Alfred, today you're turning into a man." Arthur said softly. Alfred could see tears pooled in his eyes as he struggled to keep his cool. "I remembered that day when you were born… If it wasn't for Antonio… You couldn't have been standing here today."

Alfred could felt a mix of emotion stirred up in his heart hearing his father's (mother) words. It twisted his heart so much that he embraced the man who raised him, and most of all gave him the life to live. "M… Mother, thank you…" It was just all he could say, but it summed up his gratitude for the man who had raised him all these years.

"I hope that you will be a good king." Arthur continued. "And… And please be nice and love Kiku with all your heart, for he is yours and the country needs the both of you."

"I will. I will do my best." They held each other for a moment until Francis' voice broke them up. Realizing that they were late, they headed out to the wedding reception where the royal wedding will be taking place.

* * *

The wedding took place in the throne room, flooded with other family members of the royal family and the nobles alike. Today is the most unforgettable day in Arthur's life. Never had his life been grander than the wedding of his son. The moment when the trumpet signalled the arrival of both kings. Arthur strode in holding Francis' hand, looking as regal as a royal could be. They stopped when they reached the end of the altar where the throne laid.

And then, someone announced the arrival of Crown Prince Alfred. Alfred strode into the room, walking confidently and regally as expected of a crown prince. He walked up and stopped just in front of the throne facing both kings who stood at both sides of the throne. There was a change of music and entered Toris who led Kiku down the aisle. Kiku looked stunning in his white kimono. On his head rested a tiara made of flowers that hold the translucent veil in place. Toris led Kiku to Alfred and the prince, in turn, took the hand of his soon-to-be spouse.

Arthur didn't even bothered much about what the priest was saying throughout the time. Most were just some blabbering and announcement before the vows were said and the rings exchanged. But Arthur and Francis never forget their most important job being here, that is to acknowledge Alfred and Kiku as their successor and crowned them as the heir to the future throne. When the marriage was finally sealed with a kiss, Alfred and Kiku ascended to the throne and knelt before the two kings. The priest and a royal servant came forward to present two silver crowns. Arthur's eye met with Francis' for a brief moment before the nodded in unison and each lifted one of the crown and placed in gently on their wearers, Francis on Kiku and Arthur on Alfred. Once done, the priest told the crowned princes to rose and face the crowd. Alfred held Kiku's hand as they rose together, the crowd instantly erupted into cheers while chanting long live to both princes and the kings. To Arthur, he suddenly felt his life complete seeing his son finally getting married and most of all, he had finally experienced the most important occasion in his life, his very own wedding.

* * *

A wedding banquet and ball is held on the night to commemorate such important occasion. Guests flooded the ballroom and danced and enjoyed themselves till late into the night.

Arthur spent some time dancing together with Francis and some of the nobles before he took his retirement. He walked out of the ballroom to one of the balconies. For once, the city was peaceful. Arthur heaved a sigh and leaned on the railings, his gaze fixed at something far beyond the kingdom boundary. It has been a long journey since that fateful meeting with Francis and it has been a years of love and lost that made them to this day. And how long will their journey ever last?

"Tired already?" Francis asked, slipping a coat over his shoulder to keep him warm before standing next to him.

"It's not that you don't bloody know." Arthur rolled his eyes at him. "I'm not the merry or sociable kind of person. This is just done for the sake of Alfred and our family."

Francis chuckled slightly and gulped down his wine. "You did a great job, cher." Francis said. The two of them had their eyes turned back to the ballroom where Alfred was clearly enjoying himself while the young nobles came to congratulate him.

"The time has changed, hasn't it?" Arthur asked. "Young minds are so much different from our thinking. It worries me if it is alright to let them handle everything at such young age."

"Don't you trust them?" Francis asked. That was more than enough to stunt Arthur. It reminded him of the past where he first met Francis and doubted the other's capability.

"Being a parent and raising a child is all about bonding and trust." Francis said. "I know that it can be very risky for all of us if we are to give the throne to those young ones, but we have to trust them as they are our hope. Just like Gilbert and Natalia who inherited the throne at young age, yet they managed to shed their fears and became strong rulers of the kingdom we know today. It's because we believe the best in them."

"You're right, Francis." Arthur mumbled. "But it's still hard to think about it, that someday we will have to leave everything behind for Alfred. I don't even dare to think of him leading the entire kingdom."

Francis reached out to hold Arthur's hand. "I had made my promise. I will always be by your side at all times no matter what."

"As cheesy as always, your answers." Arthur mocked half-heartedly. "But I will enjoy every moment of you being by my side." He turned back his gaze to where Alfred was, seeing the prince showering affection on his spouse in public. "And I think you may be right. Alfred will be just fine… I hope."

Francis grinned and wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist. "He got his happy ending in the end, don't he? And since he will be enjoying his night, we should have the night to ourselves too, don't you think?" He teased before he started planting kisses on the other's neck, causing shivers to run up Arthur's spine.

"You can have that later." Arthur said, trying not to shout as he shove Francis away. "Don't forget we still have matters in our hands."

"If you say so, then I will wait, Cherie." Francis laughed. "But don't you take back your words later."

"You're really quite the sex-deprived person, aren't you?"

"Oui, and I really appreciate your body." Francis teased back lightly. Both kings ended up laughing at their small little argument before they quieted down in unison.

"Francis, do you still remember the story we once told the children when they were young?" Arthur asked. "Something about the princess and her forbidden love?"

"Why would I forget that? That was our love story." Francis said.

"Yes, but until the end, is it truly a Happily Ever After?"

"It wasn't the exact ending we hope for, but otherwise, we were happy with it, aren't you?"

"You may be right…" Arthur mumbled. "But is Happily Ever After really for eternal?"

At such question, Francis was speechless. "What is in your mind, cher?" He asked after unable to come up with a proper answer.

"I just think that… There can always be more than one Happily Ever After in a person's life." Arthur said. "Just like how we faced several challenges and hardships in life, but no matter how many we have encountered, there is always a happy ending if we went through it."

"Are you saying that there's a sequel for our little story?"

A small smile graced upon Arthur's lips. "Yes… And it's more complete and happier than we have ever been…"

"Oh, enlighten me please, cher." And so, Arthur began his story, a continuation of their previous story.

_"Once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived with his parents at the border of Main Hetalia and the Southeast Kingdom. His parents were both common farmers and they worked hard to earn a living. Despite being a poor family, he received strict upbringing by his parents. His mother even taught him to read and write and proper behaviour like the children of higher rank."_

"She's actually saying this so as to make her look noble and prideful, don't she?" Francis amusingly said. Arthur threw him a _Will you shut up?_ look that silenced him before he continued on.

_"One day, his father had an errand to run in the castle. Despite his mother's protest, he decided to bring along his son with him. There, he met up with a beautiful servant girl who works in the castle. He fell in love with her instantly when they met."_

"How old do you decided to make _this_ boy be around this time?" Francis questioned.

"Ten," Arthur said bluntly.

"That's too young to fall in love, don't you think so?" Francis quirked his eyebrow at Arthur's answer.

Arthur rolled his eyes and glared at him. "I bet you had started flirting with people at this age." Francis feigned a hurt look but Arthur ignored him.

_"They only met for a day but they enjoyed every single moment they had together. They played in the castle garden and explore the castle ground. At the end of the day, before he left the castle, he made a promise that the next time they met, he will marry her."_

Francis chuckled at the storyline. "That was quite decent. But you really have poor sense of romance."

"Unfortunately, Alfred just reminded of me when I was forced to find myself a spouse to marry when I came of age." Arthur mocked back. _"And then years past in a blink. The boy grew up into a strong and handsome young man. But then, the kingdom were in chaos as revolution rose among the people and began rebelling against the ruling king of Main Hetalia. It is said that the king had gone insane and lost his mind that caused the entire kingdom to sink into a reign of terror."_ Arthur stopped for a while, thinking how he should continue the story until Francis cut in.

_"The boy was never interested in all these revolution stuff. But one day, the Southeast Kingdom's castle was being attacked by soldiers of the mad king who thought the High Prince of the Southeast Kingdom was aiding the rebellions, many innocents' people were slaughtered. After that incident, his parents had decided to join forces in the revolution as well."_

Arthur smiled at the plot Francis gave, he then continued the story from where his husband left. _"It was then that his parents revealed to him their true identities. He was told that his mother was actually the princess of Main Hetalia and his father was a prince from Southeast Kingdom. They decided to run away because the king and queen disagreed the marriage because his father was of lower status than his mother's. They thought they could live in peace being commoners and living a normal life, but things just won't work as they wished. It was a hard decision to make, but they had decided that they have to take over the throne in order to relieve the people from the reign of terror."_

"Nice one, cher." Francis said. "Just like what we have been through, non?"

Arthur smiled weakly at the memories of the past. "Though it was much darker in reality…" He swallowed and continued. _"The boy soon came to realize that he was a prince and was bound to take the throne one day. He trained hard everyday under the guidance of his uncle and grandfather. Eventually, they led a rebellion along with the nobles of other kingdom to overthrow the mad king. In the midst of fighting in the castle, he saved a young lady who was a servant girl in the Southeast Kingdom's castle. He recognized it as the servant girl whom he fell in love years ago. Determined to rescue his beloved, he killed the mad king and stopped the reign of terror. His parents then crowned him as the new king of Main Hetalia. At the same time, he married the servant girl and made her his queen. Both of them rule the kingdom for a long time of peace and prosperity and was loved by the people. All of them live Happily Ever After."_

Francis smiled at the conclusion of the story. "That wasn't very good, but it wasn't bad either."

"C'mon, it's not easy having to alter something reality into a story. Moreover, the main focus of this story is about Alfred, not us." Arthur corrected.

"I guess," Francis shrugged. "This is kinda like the aftermath of our action."

"We did this for our own good, Francis." Arthur reminded him. "If I hadn't met you, I will end up in an unhappy marriage and ruled the kingdom like how my father did. It is hard, though, having to lose those who aid us but there's no turning back. It is the decision I… No, we made this decision and no matter how hard things are, we will not bow and will continue ahead."

"And I will always be by your side no matter what." Francis said. "We have been together for almost 30 years."

A smile graced Arthur's lips. "The princess is really happy to have her prince by her side."

Francis seemed to ponder for a moment before a mischievous smirk appeared on his lips. "This prince is gonna go rough on you tonight, just like what Alfred is going to do tonight." Arthur winced and his eyebrows furrowed at Francis' dirty joke (perhaps not).

"Francis, we have aged quite a bit, don't you think we should be gentler instead?" Arthur mumbled. "Besides, this is their first night, Alfred would have to take Kiku on gently as not to hurt him."

"They could've done it before hand. They did elope few months ago." Francis said.

"Young people," Arthur reminded, "just like us when we're lovesick couple."

"It's getting late, Cherie. We should go back in and bid our guests goodnight and let Alfred and Kiku enjoy their first night." Arthur nodded in response before they walked hand-in-hand back into the room. They announced it is time for the banquet to end and along with the newlyweds bid their guests good night and farewell while receiving congratulation from them, they just can't hide their joy. Until all the guests had left, Alfred led Kiku to their room while the rest of them returned to their respective room.

* * *

"Ahh… Finally, another busy day…" Arthur sighed as he sat on bed. Francis sat next to him before wrapping his arms around his husband.

"Cheri, we never had our wedding, do you remember that?" Francis asked.

"…Yes…" Arthur replied bitterly. "It was a sad and happy moment at the same time. But seeing Alfred getting married, I felt that there's no need to regret anymore. This wedding is already our wedding."

Francis smiled a little. "I felt the same too. But this time, the law will not force us apart anymore and no one can stop us now." He then took this as his cue to knelt down in front of him and presented a box. Arthur gasped in surprise when Francis revealed a ring with an emerald attached to it and the golden band of the ring was nicely carved with beautiful intricate pattern on it. "Just as today is Alfred's wedding day, it is also our anniversary. And we don't need any formal event to celebrate it, it is just for you and me."

With shaky hands, Arthur accepted the ring and Francis helped him slid it into his finger which matched with the first ring that Francis gave him in the first place. "Francis… it's… This is just too beautiful." Arthur said with glassy eyes. Francis just kissed him back.

"Say cher, you haven't forgot your promise, had you?" Francis asked before he began to lick Arthur's ears and gently bit Arthur's neck. Arthur moaned in pleasure.

"Hah… You haven been… planning with this… all along?" Arthur said between gasp.

"Oui," Francis said licking Arthur's neck. "It is our anniversary after all."

Within a blink of an eye, their clothes discarded all across the floor as they began their nightly activity. It was a bit slower in pace than how they once did years ago, but their passion for each other remained strong. Hands roaming across sweat-covered body and marked with bite mark, both sides wantonly seek pleasure from each other. Everything seemed to return back to the day when they did it for the first time, filled with lustful love and bliss.

It's a moment when they could never forget, of pain and love that paved them into this unending journey, which united them together forever and always.

xXx

It has been a while since we focused on our little FrUK in the beginning of the story. I just feel the need to write this pairing as a reflection of their youth and the comparison they experienced in their adulthood. Sorry if the plot sucks, it really took me some time to write this out. I would have posted this up before 2017, but I just can't make it.

This bonus story marks the second last chapter of this story. After this, there will be an epilogue. And finally, this story will soon be completed. I realized that it has been more than two years since I started this. It was all thanks to Kari Kurofai's fans and your supports that allowed me to continue writing until today. I hope you all enjoy this story just like how you all enjoy the previous author's story. We truly appreciate it. Off to the last chapter!

**Pure** (Guest): Thanks for leaving a review and I'm glad that you enjoy reading this story. As I promised, I had finally finished the second last chapter. The last chapter should be uploaded not too long from now, stay tuned!


	25. Chapter 19

***Sob*** I can't believe this is already the last chapter of One Last Fairytale. While it took a long time finishing it, I find it rather hard to express myself whether to rejoice or wept upon this story completion. But anyway, I hope you all will enjoy reading this fiction until the every fibre of it, so let's start off with the final chapter.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own One Last Fairytale and Hetalia at all.

* * *

**One Last Fairytale: Once Upon a Time**

Alfred stared onto the portrait that hung on the wall, the latest one out of the many that recorded the images of every ruler and their family ever since the kingdom was founded. Arthur and Francis stood side-by-side, wearing the outfit and cloak that kings wore for their coronation, on their heads rested the crowns of kings. Both were regal in their posture and look, showing the authority as the monarch of the kingdom. By their side, stood Alfred and his brother, Matthew who wore their prince crown as they stood by their fathers' side taking the portrait.

_How long has it been since those days?_

Alfred was so deep into his thoughts that he didn't notice Kiku entering the room. Kiku walked up and stood next to Alfred. When the king did not responded, he reached out his hand to gently nudge to other as to snap him out of his trance. Sky blue eyes met dark brown orbs as they connected.

"Our guests have arrived, are you ready to meet them?" Kiku asked softly.

Alfred carried himself regally as how a king should be. "We should get start now, the quicker the better." He summoned one of the servants and gave his order, "See to it that the high princes and princess were escorted to the court room, we will have a meeting soon." The servant bowed and left to do as what he indicated.

"Alfred-san, your coat is not straight enough." Kiku reprimanded as he walked up to help him adjust his coat to look more presentable. "You're hopeless. Even until now, you still can't dress properly. How are you going to tell your father that?"

"It just got ruffled a bit, nothing much." Alfred shrugged, but he let Kiku helped him do it anyway since he enjoyed such moment. The moment when Kiku brushed his coat just in front of his chest, Alfred took the opportunity to wrap both his arms around the smaller man and enveloped him in a tight embrace. All the moment Kiku could only 'eep' in surprise.

"Caught ya." Alfred smirked teasingly, noting how cute his husband look being vulnerable and blushing. He ran one hand across Kiku's back and teased his exposed neck and ear.

"A-Ah… A-Alfred, sto-stop…" Kiku moaned. "We got work to do, we can't do this now."

"I don't care, I want to be with you." Alfred insisted like a stubborn little child.

"We can do that after the meeting is finished." Kiku said, wriggling himself free from Alfred's arms.

Alfred managed a pout. "Aww, but even when you're not busy with work, you always had yourself full with the kids."

Kiku sighed and lightly punched Alfred on the shoulder. "I thought it is you who want to have kids." He said. "Anyway, you should stop behaving like this, you're a king."

But Alfred is not going to let Kiku go. In one swift movement, he held Kiku's waist and slammed him onto a wall. "I don't care." He said, facing Kiku. "All I want is you and only you." He then slammed his lip onto Kiku's, their tongues engaged in a battle for dominance. He was about to continue with his little game but a servant knocked on the door interrupted them.

"Sir, the preparations are done and our guests were in. Are you going to enter?" Kiku used this as his chance to break himself off from his husband's strong arms. "We should go." He said, dusting his clothes. Alfred sighed and shrugged, he just can't help when it comes to Kiku. "If you say so." He mumbled.

"By the way," Kiku added, "I really enjoy intimate moment with you. It's just that… We got things important to do. But if you wish, maybe we can do it together tonight." Alfred perked up at Kiku's offer and he quickly took it. "Then I will see to it tonight." He grinned mischievously.

* * *

Alfred and Kiku entered side-by-side into the court room where nobles from other kingdoms awaits. The meeting soon commenced with monthly report and discussion about crisis and funds of the kingdom, it was just the same as always.

Alfred didn't even remember how long did the meeting go, but he was eager to leave the moment the meeting had finally adjourned. "Thanks for the hard work." Ludwig said giving his shoulder a pat. Alfred acknowledged with a smile and a nod. The royals walked out of the room as they discussed about having a private feasts among the families.

It has been five years since Alfred ascended to the throne. Francis passed away ten years after he was married, and Arthur followed just a year after that. Though saddened with his parents' death, he knew that they were reunited in a place where no one will ever tear them apart and ruin their happy lives again. He knew that he will meet them, and Mattie too in the future, but this is just not the time yet. What remains of his day is to treasure the people he cared and every single minute of living, because that is what people meant a happy life.

"It seems like you manage to get a hold on it. I'm impressed." Ivan teased, Gilbert smirked as he laughed. Alfred's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I didn't expect you to return." Alfred said.

"Oh, c'mon, we are an awesome pair." Gilbert laughed. "And we can always come and go whenever we want, don't want any of the merry event."

Ludwig sighed and shook his head. "Brother, it's good seeing you again." He said.

It was not the only thing that had changed since his ascension to the throne, many things had changed as well. Most of the previous high rulers and nobles had passed on. High Prince Antonio succumbed two years before Francis, Lovino stayed strong despite losing his lover. He refused to marry, stating his desire to stay loyal to Antonio. Roderich and Vash had passed on too, and now Elizaveta had Liech as her only company as they spent most of their time reminiscing the past. Gilbert and Ivan had their vows exchanged shortly after Antonio's passing, saying that they don't need anything glamorous for their little engagement since they disliked functional events. After that, Gilbert abdicated his position as High Prince of West Kingdom and passed on the throne to his brother, Ludwig who married Feliciano, and both the West Kingdom and Southeast Kingdom were united, just like how High Prince Roman and Germania had always been. And now, Ivan and Gilbert left on an adventure travelling across the world, they were hardly seen being home now. Alfred missed them, but gave them his blessing.

But it doesn't meant that all these years have been filled with sorrows. There were some joys to be remembered in Alfred's heart. Arthur's research on childbearing and lineage survival has been proven true and is now being widely used as a method for royal male couples to have children. Seven years after his marriage, he welcomed his first child into the world, a boy with blonde hair like his and dark orbs like Kiku, they named him Matthew, after his deceased twin brother. And in another three years, they had a beautiful girl called Kireina. Ludwig and Feliciano also went on having a couple of children, making them his cousins. Natalia and Toris had a boy called Alexander and a girl called Anya. It was possibly their most happy moment with them having a family and children to raise.

Has everyone been happy? Alfred could've say, yes. Though not everything went as planned, but everyone managed to get through their sorrowful moment and found happiness in it. It has been a hard time but everyone was happy. He believed that was what his parents wished for him, and they were too, with what they had been through and now and forever and always.

* * *

The royal families gathered for a family dinner during the night and spent chatting and entertaining each other for the day, with the children playing aside and Ivan and Gilbert sharing their adventure stories and some reminiscence of the past.

"You seem to enjoy this moment a lot, don't you?" Kiku asked as he took a seat next to Alfred.

"Nothin's better than a family being together." Alfred said. "It's all we have by now."

"Do you miss your family?" Kiku asked knowingly. Years of marriage had made him understood Alfred better and he can even tell what the other was thinking.

Alfred shrugged. "They were what I had in the past. But now all I can do is live on with my new family." He said looking at the noble families enjoying their time chatting with each other.

"We will always be by your side, Alfred." Kiku said. "I know separation can be a rather painful thing, but don't forget that you still got us by your side. There's always more than one person who will be by your side to care for you."

The king managed a smile before planting a kiss on Kiku's cheek. "I won't lose you all again. That's my promise."

"Papa." Matthew chose to call at this moment as he ran up to his parents, Kireina followed closely behind. Alfred instinctively lifted both his children onto his lap. Matthew immediately giggled and began playing with his father like a child wanting attention while Kireina just sat quietly watching their interaction. It is obvious that Matthew took after Alfred's loud behaviour and Kireina has Kiku's mature and quiet aptitude. Kiku did find it interesting that opposite attract.

"There's more to come." Kiku said. Alfred tore his attention away from his son and to find the other children had come to sit by his foot. "Why hello, little ones, what would you like to do today?"

"We wanna hear ya tell us a story." One of Ludwig's child said. "About the story of two best friends." Another said. "No, I wanna hear the story about the adventure of a prince." Alexander cut in.

"Papa, I wanna hear your story about the hero prince." Matthew chose to interject in at the same time. Alfred stifled a small laugh before asking Kireina. "What about you, my little princess, what kind of story do you wish to hear?" The black-haired girl looked up at her father with unfathomable blue eyes before shaking her head, "anything…" she barely said a word even already at age 5.

"I think it will be good if we tell them all the story." Kiku said as he picked Kireina from Alfred's lap.

Alfred beamed a charming smile at his husband. "You're right. It'll be better when we have more stories to share and tell. What didya said, kids?" All the kids clapped in joy as they sat down, eyes focused on him waiting him to deliver his story.

Memories once again flowed in Alfred's mind, reminiscing of the past where his fathers and brother would tell him his favourite stories, which were part of their stories as well. He knew he will never forget them, just like how they will be remembered in history books about their marks on the kingdom. As he looked back into the past, he began telling his story.

"Once Upon a Time…"

_~Fin~_

AAAAAND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER! Woohoo, second long fiction finally finished, though the ending is kinda bittersweet. I'm surprised that I can actually finished this although it took over two years to have this complete. It is all thanks to you all who read and reviewed that I manage to finish this fanfiction and I hope you all are satisfied with this completed version of story that was once left behind by Kari Kurofai.

And of course, we need to give our special thanks to the original author, Kari Kurofai who came up with this beautiful fanfiction. This is not my original story, I just picked up from where the original author left off and continued according to what she had given me.

And most of all, I hope you all will continue enjoy reading my story. I already had a new story in my mind and I will have this new story posted up when I got the free time to do so. For now, thank you and goodbye for now and see you all in the next fanfic.

Another sidenote to add, Kireina translate to 'beautiful' in Japanese. I just kinda think this name suited Alfred's daughter the best as it reflected Kiku's as well.


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